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)
WAR WITH IRAN - DAY 114 JUNE 21,26 - TEXT OF THE MOU (SO CALLED TALKS)
THE
NEXT US-ISRAEL HIT ON IRAN SHOULD BE VERSE 37. ALL OFFENSIVE NUKE SITES
MISSLES,DRONES,AND OF COURSE KHEMENI AND THE IRGC GUARDS.THEN AFTER
IRANS REGIME CHANGE. MUSLIMS COME TO JESUS BY THE MILLIONS.
JEREMEIAH 49:32-39 (IN IRAN AT THE BUSHEHR OR ARAK NUKE SITES AND ALL OFENSIVE WEAPONS DESTROYED IN IRAN)
Jeremiah 49:32-39
32
Their camels shall be a booty, and the multitude of their cattle a
spoil: and I will scatter to all winds those who have the corners [of
their hair] cut off; and I will bring their calamity from every side of
them, says Yahweh.
33 Hazor shall be a dwelling-place of jackals, a
desolation forever: no man shall dwell there, neither shall any son of
man sojourn therein.(Location & Size: It was strategically located
along the Via Maris (Way of the Sea), a major trade route connecting
Egypt with Syria and Mesopotamia.)
34 The word of Yahweh that came to
Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam,(IRAN) in the beginning of the
reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying,
35 Thus says Yahweh of
Hosts: Behold, I will break the bow of Elam,(IRANS OFFENSIVE WEAPONS)
the chief of their might.(MISSLES AND NUKE SITES)
36 On Elam (IRAN)
will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of the sky, and will
scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation where
the outcasts of Elam shall not come.(SINCE 1979 IRANIANS HAVE GOTTIN OUT
OF IRAN BECAUSE OF KHEMENI AND HIS APOCOPOLIPTIC DEATH CULT
BELIEF-BLACK HATER 12ERS)
37 I will cause Elam (IRAN) to be dismayed
before their enemies, and before those who seek their life;(ISRAEL THE
LITTLE SATAN AND THE U.S THE BIG SATAN) and I will bring evil on them,
(MISSLES) even my fierce anger,(FIRE) says Yahweh; and I will send the
sword after them,(IRANS OFFENSIVE WEAPONS) until I have consumed them;
(DESTROYED THEM ALL NUKE SITES,MISSLES ETC)
38 and I will set my
throne in Elam,(IRAN WILL BECOME A CHRISTIAN NATION) and will destroy
from there king (KHEMENI, ISLAM) and princes, says Yahweh.(IRANIAN ARMY
GUARDS)
39 But it shall happen in the latter days, that I will bring
back the captivity of Elam,(IRAN) says Yahweh.(WERE IN THE LATTER DAYS
NOW)
WHEN ARE THE 500 MILLION MIGRATING BIRDS IN ISRAEL IN THE SPRING TIME.(GET READY ISLAM TO BE BIRD SEED FOR THESE BIRDS)
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/m0bXU5Xqc5M
The
500 million migratory birds in Israel during the spring arrive from
Africa and head toward Europe and Asia, with the peak migration
occurring in March and April. While migration starts in late February,
the most intense movements, particularly of birds of prey, storks, and
pelicans, occur during the third week of March and continue into April.
Key Details on the Spring Migration
Peak Period: Mid-March through April.
Main
Migration Route: The birds use the Great Rift Valley, which includes
the Hula Valley and Eilat, acting as a "bottleneck" where millions of
birds fly through the narrow land bridge.
Best Spots: The Hula Lake
Park (Northern Israel) and the Eilat Birding Center (Southern Israel)
are primary locations for observing the migration.
Key Species:
Hundreds of thousands of white storks, along with black kites, raptors,
and pelicans, pass through over these months.
uration: The spring migration runs from late February and continues into June, though the heaviest traffic is in March/April.
The
500 million migratory birds fly over Israel in the fall between late
August and mid-December. The peak migration period for the autumn, when
the highest volume of bird traffic occurs, is typically October and
November.
Key Fall Migration Details
Location: The Hula Valley (Agamon Hula Park) in northern Israel is the premier spot to witness this phenomenon.
Timing: Migration starts as early as late June with some waders, but intensifies from mid-August through November.
Peak Festival: The "Annual Hula Valley Bird Festival" is usually held in November to align with the peak migration traffic.
Key
Species: Many birds of prey (raptors), including honey buzzards and
steppe eagles, cross during this time, along with massive flocks of
storks and cranes.
While roughly 500 million birds pass through in
the autumn on their way to Africa, the same number crosses again in the
spring (mid-February to May) on their way back to Europe and Asia.
JEREMEIAH 49:23-27
23
Concerning Damascus.(SYRIA) Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they
have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the
sea;(WAR SHIPS WITH NUKES COMING ON SYRIA) it cannot be quiet.
24
Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath
seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in
travail.
25 How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy!
26
Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of
war shall be cut off in that day, saith the LORD of hosts.
27 And I
will kindle a fire (NUKES OR BOMBS) in the wall of Damascus, and it
shall consume the palaces of Benhadad.(ASSADS PALACES POSSIBLY IN
DAMASCUS)
Read the full text of Trump's preliminary U.S.-Iran agreement to end the war-June 18, 202612:31 PM ET By NPR Staff
NPR
has obtained a copy of the framework agreement to end the war with
Iran. A source shared the text on the condition of anonymity because
they were not authorized to discuss the preliminary deal.Formally called
a "memorandum of understanding," the text was signed Wednesday by
President Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, as well as by
the prime minister of Pakistan, which mediated between the U.S. and
Iran.The text is as follows:
Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding
between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of
America.The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America
have jointly agreed, in good faith, on ......... 2026, at…….., on the
following:
1. The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of
America, and their allies in the current war, by signing this MoU,
declare the immediate and permanent termination of military operations
on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and undertake from now on not to
initiate any war or any military operation against each other, and to
refrain from the threat or use of force against each other, and ensuring
the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon. The final Deal
will confirm the permanent termination of the war on all fronts,
including in Lebanon, and other provisions of this paragraph.
2. The
Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America undertake to
respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity and to
refrain from interfering in each other's internal affairs.
3. The
Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America commit to
negotiating and achieving the final Deal, in maximum 60 days extendable
with mutual consent.
4. Immediately upon the signing of this MoU, the
United States of America will begin the removal of its naval blockade
and any disturbances or impediments against the Islamic Republic of
Iran, and will fully end the naval blockade within 30 days. During this
period, the traffic of vessels will be in proportion to the numbers of
pre-war traffic being restored by the Islamic Republic of Iran. The
United States of America further undertakes to remove its forces from
the proximity of the Islamic Republic of Iran within 30 days after the
final Deal.
Israeli Merkava tanks drive along a road past destroyed
buildings in southern Lebanon, as seen from a position in the Upper
Galilee region of northern Israel near the Israel-Lebanon border, on
June 17.
Middle East conflict
For Lebanon, a U.S.-Iran agreement raises questions beyond Hezbollah
5.
Upon the signing of this MoU, the Islamic Republic of Iran will make
arrangements using its best efforts for the safe passage of commercial
vessels, with no charge for 60 days only, from the Persian Gulf to the
Sea of Oman, and vice versa. The traffic of commercial vessels will
immediately start, and considering the need for removing the technical
and military obstacles, and de-mining by the Islamic Republic of Iran,
will be instated within 30 days. The Islamic Republic of Iran will
conduct dialogue with the Sultanate of Oman, to define the future
administration and maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz, in
discussions with other Persian Gulf Littoral States, in line with
applicable international law and the sovereign rights of coastal states
of the Strait of Hormuz.
6. The United States of America undertakes,
with regional partners, to develop a definitive mutually agreed plan
with at least USD 300 Billion, for the reconstruction and economic
development of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The mechanism for the
implementation of this plan will be finalized as part of final Deal
within 60 days. All required licenses, waivers and permissions needed
for the relevant financial transactions will be granted by the United
States of America.
PAGE 2
7. The United States of America
undertakes to terminate all types of sanctions against the Islamic
Republic of Iran, including the United Nations Security Council
resolutions, IAEA Board of Governors resolutions, and all unilateral
U.S. sanctions, primary and secondary, in an agreed upon schedule as
part of the final deal. The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United
States of America acknowledge the critical importance of the sanctions
termination issue above mentioned and express their intentions to
immediately address these issues in the negotiations in order to achieve
mutual agreement on them.
8. The Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms
that it shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons. The Islamic
Republic of Iran and the United States of America have agreed to resolve
the disposition of stockpiled enriched material pursuant to a mechanism
that will be mutually agreed upon, in accordance with the schedule
mentioned in paragraph 7, with the minimum methodology to be down
blending on-site, under the supervision of the IAEA. The two Parties
also agree to discuss the issue of enrichment, and other mutually agreed
matters relating to the Islamic Republic of Iran's nuclear needs, based
on a satisfactory framework being agreed upon in the final Deal. The
final Deal will confirm the provisions of this paragraph. The Islamic
Republic of Iran and the United States of America acknowledge the
critical importance of the nuclear issues above mentioned and express
their intentions to immediately address these issues in the negotiations
in order to achieve mutual agreement on them.
9. Pending the final
Deal, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America
agree to maintain the status quo; the Islamic Republic of Iran will
maintain the current status quo of its nuclear program, and the United
States of America will not impose any new sanctions, and will not deploy
any additional forces in the region.
A screenshot of a missile being
shot toward the sky from a Russian island in the Arctic Circle on Oct.
21, 2025. There is a bight circle and a cloud of smoke trailing behind
it against a blue, cloudy sky.
National Security-Report: Russia's nuclear-powered 'Skyfall' missile is dirty and dangerous-
10.
The United States of America undertakes that immediately upon the
signing of this MoU, and until the termination of sanctions, the U.S.
Department of Treasury will issue waivers for the export of Iranian
crude oil, petroleum products and derivatives, and all associated
services including banking transactions, insurances, transportation,
etc.
11. The United States of America undertakes to make fully
available for use, the frozen or restricted funds and assets of the
Islamic Republic of Iran upon the implementation of this MoU. The United
States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran will mutually agree
on the procedures related to the release of these funds during the
negotiations. Such funds, whether retained in the original account or
transferred, shall be made fully usable for payment to any ultimate
beneficiary designated by the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of
Iran. The United States of America undertakes to issue all necessary
licenses and authorizations accordingly.
12. The Islamic Republic of
Iran and the United States of America agree that an executive mechanism
will be established to monitor the successful implementation of this MoU
and the future compliance of the final Deal.
PAGE 3
13. After
signing this MoU, and subject to the beginning of the implementation of
paragraphs 1, 4, 5, 10 and 11 of this MoU and the continuing
implementation of these measures, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the
United States of America will start negotiations regarding the final
Deal exclusively on the other paragraphs.
14. The final Deal will be endorsed by a binding UNSC resolution.
Op-ed
Dire implications for the security of Israel and its people-Trump’s
deal is a catastrophic capitulation to Iran’s aggressors, leaves Israel
vulnerable and constrained-In the US president’s reality-challenged
view, Israel is an ingrate and a warmonger, while Iran’s mass-murdering
leaders are ‘very rational.’ They are indeed all too rational, and he,
clearly, is not By David Horovitz-17 June 2026, 5:27 pm
An
earlier version of this Editor’s Note was sent out earlier Wednesday in
ToI’s weekly update email to members of the Times of Israel Community.
To receive these Editor’s Notes as they’re released, join the ToI
Community here.On March 2, the third day of the US-Israel war against
Iran, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff gave an
interview to Fox News in which he explained why the administration’s
efforts to negotiate a deal with the regime in Tehran earlier in the
year had failed.He and Jared Kushner, Witkoff recalled, had been tasked
with seeking an agreement under which Iran would halt its nuclear
program, dismantle its ballistic missile program, cease its support for
proxies, and eliminate its navy “so we can have freedom of the seas.”Far
from entertaining a willingness to compromise, despite having been
battered in the June 2025 12-day war, said Witkoff, the Iranian
negotiators bragged that their obduracy and duplicity had been paying
off. On the nuclear front, they gloated, they had amassed 460 kilograms
of highly enriched uranium, which, Witkoff noted in his interview, could
be turned into weapons-grade within 10 days.“In that first meeting,
both the Iranian negotiators said to us directly — with no shame — that
they controlled 460 kilograms of 60% [enriched uranium] and that they’re
aware that could make 11 nuclear bombs,” Witkoff recalled, aghast. The
Iranians, he exclaimed, “were proud that they had evaded all sorts of
oversight protocols to get to a place where they could deliver 11
nuclear bombs.”They also claimed to have “an inalienable right” to
enrich their nuclear fuel,” he noted, saying that he and Kushner had
responded, robustly, by declaring “that the president feels we have the
inalienable right to stop you dead in your tracks.”Fast-forward three
and a half months, and the US will on Friday formally sign a memorandum
of understanding with Iran, already signed digitally long-distance, that
resolves none of the goals of the war — none of the goals that Witkoff
and Kushner attempted to resolve in their negotiated effort to avert the
war.According to the official text, read aloud to reporters, including
The Times of Israel’s Jacob Magid, by a senior US official during a
phone briefing on Wednesday, the 14-point MOU potentially grants the
regime hundreds of billions of dollars — which it will doubtless utilize
to help keep its restive population in line, to massively fund
Hezbollah, Hamas and its other terrorist proxies, and to spend as needed
on its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.The MOU provides for the
reopening of the Strait of Hormuz — the vital waterway Iran seized and
leveraged to push Trump into this deal — but with no long-term
commitment by the regime to keep it open and toll-free.And it pushes the
entire subject of Iran’s rogue nuclear program into a 60-day
negotiation period, during which the regime can be relied upon to be as
uncompromising and dismissive as its negotiators were when facing
Witkoff and Kushner in January.Incredibly, the MOU already rewards the
regime for its intransigence: It states that Iran’s “nuclear needs” will
be addressed if a framework for doing so is agreed; the US negotiators
apparently could not even persuade the regime to include the words
“peaceful” or “civilian,” to at least keep up the pretense that it has
legitimate nuclear requirements.Pending a final deal, the text continues
ridiculously, “Iran will maintain the status quo of its nuclear
program.” What status quo would that be? The “status quo” under which
Iran has run rings around the UN’s nuclear inspectors, to the point
where, as its negotiators boasted to Witkoff, it amassed enough
near-weapons-grade uranium for 11 nuclear bombs, an underground
stockpile that survived the US Army’s B-2 bunker busters last June? Last
month, a senior Israeli military official warned that if the stockpile
was not removed in the wake of the war, the campaign should be
considered “one big failure.” And here we are.The two sides “have agreed
to resolve the disposition of stockpiled enriched material pursuant to a
mechanism that will be mutually agreed upon,” the MOU solemnly states,
“with the minimum methodology to be down-blending on site under the
supervision of the IAEA.” But that’s all supposed to unfold in the new,
post-MOU, lost-US-leverage era, with the US having already committed
itself, and Israel, in the very first clause of the MOU, to the
“immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all
fronts.”The Israeli official also warned that if that central goal of
removing the stockpile was not met, Israel would need to launch another
operation in Iran to achieve it. The MOU would prevent Israel from doing
so, since the US has also committed itself and Israel “not to initiate
any war or any military operation.”US sources have vouchsafed in recent
days that CIA Director John Ratcliffe has warned Trump and his key
officials that the regime is playing a double game. The CIA chief has
reportedly explained that evidence gathered by US intelligence agencies
raises serious doubts that Iran would be willing to make the nuclear
concessions that the US wants in any final deal. “The intelligence
reflects that the Iranian intentions are not in line with their
commitments under the deal,” one US source told Axios. “Not in line with
their commitments.” What magnificent understatement.Of course, the
Iranians have no intention of making any concessions that would
strategically thwart their path to the bomb. Of course, they’re lying.
They cheerfully told Witkoff in January that they’ve lied their way to
their 60% stockpile.The danger now, as realistically seen by Israel, is
that they will use the 60-day “status quo” to accelerate toward nuclear
breakout.And yet, the same US administration negotiators who recoiled in
horror at Iran’s obduracy in January have now yielded to it in June.The
MOU directly endangers and constrains Israel, with terminology that
binds Israel to a ceasefire it had no part in negotiating-The deal
manifestly empowers and finances a mass-murdering regime. It elevates
the Islamic Republic to a regional powerhouse. It abandons the Iranian
people to whom Trump promised that help was on its way.And it directly
endangers and constrains Israel, with terminology that binds Israel to a
ceasefire it had no part in negotiating: “The Islamic Republic of Iran
and the United States, and their allies in the current war, by signing
this Memorandum of Understanding, declare the immediate and permanent
termination of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, and
undertake from now on not to initiate any war or any military operation
against each other, and to refrain from the threat or use of force
against each other, and ensuring the territorial integrity and
sovereignty of Lebanon. (italics added).”Trump asserted in remarks at
the G7 summit on Tuesday that Israel should be showering him with
gratitude, since it is only thanks to him that we were not already
eliminated in an Iranian nuclear assault.“If it weren’t for the United
States of America — with me, because Obama was the opposite — Israel
would not exist right now. Israel would have been blown off the face of
the earth, 100 percent. And every smart person in Israel knows that,” he
declared. “Without us, without the United States, there would be no
Israel. Without me, there’d be no Israel, because no other president was
willing to do what I did [in tackling Iran].” Iran, he said, was “two
weeks away” from having a nuclear weapon.But he has now struck a deal
that fails to definitively close off Tehran’s practical capacity to
complete its nuclear program, and removes US military leverage to deter
it from doing so.And that’s not all.Let Syria take care of Hezbollah?!
Trump at the G7 also took public aim at Israel for its ostensibly
disproportionate military action against Iran’s Hezbollah terror proxy
in Lebanon.Using the language of Israel’s bitterest critics, he charged
that “Israel is fighting Hezbollah too long and too many people are
being killed.” Elaborating, he snapped that “you don’t have to knock
down an apartment house every time you’re looking for somebody. Because
there are a lot of people in those apartment houses. And they’re not all
Hezbollah, that I can tell you.”So he wants both a shorter war, and
also a less damaging war, to tackle a vast terrorist army, emplaced
within civilian areas, directed by Iran to batter northern Israel these
past weeks. A terrorist army dedicated, like Iran, to destroying Israel,
and one that will invade northern Israel if given half a chance.Warming
to his reality-challenged theme, Trump prescribed that Israel “let
Syria take care of Hezbollah. Because to be honest with you, I think
they’d do a better job of doing it.” That would be Syria under Ahmed
al-Sharaa, a former jihadist who had a $10 million US bounty on his head
until December 2024, but over whom Trump has gushed since their first
meeting in Riyadh last May. “Very capable,” he said of Sharaa on
Tuesday. “And very good to me.”In upside-down Trump world, Israel is the
ingrate for not appreciating his heroic interventions on our behalf,
and the illegitimate aggressor for seeking to complicate his submission
to Tehran and its terror proxies. But the fact is that Trump gave up on
the war when it became clear that winning it — first and foremost by
thwarting Iran’s Hormuz takeover — would likely cost numerous American
lives. That was, of course, a legitimate consideration, but one he
should have weighed before starting the campaign. Facing enemies bent on
its destruction, Israel knows it must put lives on the line to survive
in this treacherous region.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, frozen out
of the negotiations, was needless to say not present at the G7 in
France either — too toxic to the assembled notables, and perhaps also at
risk of ICC-ordered arrest. Dissembling furiously, he is left trying to
assert that the failed war was a success, falsely asserting on Monday
night that the Iranian nuclear threat has been defused, that Iran’s
economy has been devastated, and that the campaign against Iran “did not
go wrong at all.” For his strenuous efforts to avoid a public showdown
with Trump, the US president has repaid him by calling him “fucking
crazy” and publicly declaring that “he has no fucking judgment.”Iran’s
leaders, in their current iteration, by contrast, “are very rational
people” in Trumpland. “They were nice to deal with. They were strong
people, smart people… They’re not radicalized and they’re, you know,
looking to help their country,” he assured us all on Tuesday.But, hey,
even if they’re not, it turns out that he “never cared about regime
change” anyway. This, from the president who, on February 28, as the
US-Israel airstrikes began, told the Iranian public that, when the bombs
stop, they need to “take over your government. It will be yours to
take.”The 2026 US-Israel war against the Iranian regime was necessary.
The Islamic Republic had been gunning down its own people in the tens of
thousands. It was reconstituting its nuclear weapons program, reviving
its ballistic missile production, rebuilding its terror proxies.When the
US and Israel struck, it had no hesitation in extorting the world via
the Strait of Hormuz, and targeting anyone and anything it perceived to
be vulnerable to attack, not only Israel (of course) but also its own
regional neighbors, while lamenting that it did not (yet) have the
capacity to strike directly back at the United States.The war was lost
through inadequate strategic planning by the US and Israel, and
subsequent US presidential weakness. Trump’s capitulation is a betrayal
of the Iranian citizenry. It will come back to bite America. It leaves
Israel more vulnerable than before the war began, with a new US-Iran
ceasefire agreement that aims to deny Israel the freedom to protect and
defend itself.The terms that the regime held out for and won indeed show
its leaders to be “very rational people.” The same, with dire
implications for the security of Israel and its people, cannot be said
of Trump.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard to win big if US lifts
sanctions as part of peace deal-IRGC’s sprawling sanctions-busting
empire is enmeshed in Iran’s economy, but the force’s terrorist
designation may give US firms pause from doing business with it By
Parisa Hafezi and ANGUS MCDOWALL Today, 8:26 am-JUN 20,26
DUBAI,
United Arab Emirates (Reuters) — Emerging outlines of a deal between
Washington and Tehran to end their war contain a stinging paradox:
sweeteners to coax Iran into compliance may strengthen an adversarial
force that the US and its Western allies consider a terrorist
organization.For years, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards thrived in the
shadow of sanctions, building a sprawling commercial empire stretching
from oil and construction to shipping, telecommunications and ports.Now,
as Tehran and Washington prepare for talks on a deal to end the war
that could unlock billions of dollars for Iran and reopen its economy to
global investment, the elite force is poised to be one of the biggest
beneficiaries.Four senior Iranian sources described how the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps was uniquely placed to capture a big chunk of
any financial rewards that would accrue from sanctions relief, renewed
oil exports and foreign investment.Their central role may also prove to
be one of the many obstacles to a deal: with the Guards so firmly
enmeshed in Iranian business, their terrorism designation could
significantly complicate efforts to free the economy from
sanctions.Founded by Iran’s late revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah
Khomeini, the Guards prospered under his successor Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, gaining political power as they spearheaded efforts to project
power across the Middle East and suppress dissent at home.Since the war
began on February 28 with strikes that killed Khamenei, the Guards have
only expanded their power internally, helping to install his son
Mojtaba Khamenei as the new supreme leader. They have signaled support
for the deal to end the war.One of the senior sources described the
Guards as the real winners of the war, saying that, having secured the
survival of Iran’s Islamic system, they were best placed to benefit from
any lifting of sanctions — having already run most of Iran’s
sanctions-busting operations over recent decades.A spokesperson for the
Guards declined to comment.The interim deal announced this week will
allow waivers on sanctioned oil sales while any more comprehensive
agreement struck in the coming period could lift all other sanctions and
give Iran access to a $300-billion reconstruction fund.The IRGC does
not publish financial data, but any efforts to revive the economy will
expand its considerable financial reach, a second senior source said,
pointing to existing multibillion-dollar trade networks, oil activities,
shipping operations and construction businesses.The IRGC’s engineering
arm, Khatam al-Anbia, oversees hundreds of affiliated companies
operating across major infrastructure and energy projects, and with
involvement in telecommunications, car making, tourism and logistics,
according to official statements and public records.The White House did
not immediately respond to a request for comment.‘Pulling all the
strings’With Iranian investment law requiring foreign firms to partner
with locals, the sheer number of IRGC-linked companies means they become
gatekeepers for potential investors into Iran’s most lucrative
sectors.That reality means Western firms returning to Iran’s market
could find themselves operating alongside, or through, entities linked
to the IRGC even without direct engagement —at the risk of falling foul
of any continued sanctions tied specifically to the Guards.“The IRGC is
the entity pulling all the strings behind the oil sector, so you can’t
ignore all of the legal effects of doing business with them,” said
Jeremy Paner, a former Treasury Department sanctions investigator who is
now a partner at law firm Hughes Hubbard & Reed.Even as the interim
deal with Washington says Iranian oil exports will be authorized,
“there’s still legal exposure for US companies because of the IRGC
lurking in the background,” Paner said.The US Justice Against Sponsors
of Terrorism Act, passed in 2016, allows victims of terrorist attacks to
sue US companies for aiding groups accused of terrorism such as the
IRGC.If no wider deal is reached and sanctions stay in place, the Guards
will still benefit from the interim oil export waivers, and can
maintain their tight grip on the economy through their experience in
sanctions busting, the senior Iranian sources said.Their economic rise
was accelerated by the sanctions imposed over Iran’s nuclear program
from the early 2000s, as they built networks to facilitate oil exports,
shipping and trade through intermediaries and front companies.The model
became harder to sustain when US President Donald Trump began a “maximum
pressure” campaign after pulling the US out of a 2015 nuclear deal
between major powers in 2018, and then expanded US sanctions further
during his present term.Those measures narrowed the room for sanctions
evasion and increased the cost of running illicit networks, a third
senior Iranian source said.
Jewish LGBTQ group reaches deal to
march in Rome Pride after float banned over Gaza-Keshet Italia hails
‘victory for Pride’ after compromise mediated by mayor lets group march
on foot with extra security and gives it a spot on next year’s
coordinating committee By ToI Staff Today, 1:28 pm-JUN 20,26
Jewish
LGBTQ group Keshet Italia, whose float was barred from Saturday’s Rome
Pride parade over the war in Gaza, announced Friday that it reached an
agreement with organizers to participate “with its own delegation and
symbols,” and to join the coordinating committee for next year’s
march.“We consider this agreement a victory for Pride and for the values
it represents,” said Keshet, Italy’s only Jewish LGBTQ group, in an
Italian-language press release.The group thanked Rome Mayor Robert
Gualtieri for his help in mediating the agreement, and the Rome Pride
coordinating committee for its “willingness to engage in
dialogue.”Keshet was not expected to contribute to the more than 30
floats in Saturday’s parade, but would instead “march on foot in a
special section we’re organizing with other groups to ensure everyone’s
safety,” Rome Pride spokesman Mario Colamarino told Italian news agency
ANSA.Keshet spokespeople who announced the agreement at a meeting in
Rome also stressed the group would march under special protection, ANSA
said. The group and other Jewish participants in Italian Pride events
have previously reported coming under verbal and physical assault.The
“well-attended” Friday meeting drew politicians and activists who
supported a missive signed this week by 2,000 cultural figures urging
Gualtieri to ensure Keshet Italia’s participation in Rome Pride, the
group said.Organizers of the parade said last month that they had barred
Keshet Italia from operating a float over the Jewish group’s failure to
“distance itself” from the “ongoing genocide in Gaza.”Groups that want
to be formally recognized in the parade with a float must sign onto Rome
Pride’s political platform, which includes a condemnation of the
“genocide in Gaza” — a charge Israel vigorously rejects.In an apparent
attempt to reconcile with the demand, Keshet Italia issued a statement
earlier in May that lamented the suffering of Palestinians, but
expressed discomfort at applying the genocide label to the devastating
war Israel has waged in Gaza since the Hamas onslaught of October 7,
2023.Antisemitic incidents have soared worldwide amid the war in Gaza.
In Italy, the Center for Contemporary Jewish Documentation reported a
record 963 incidents in 2025, including physical assaults and synsagogue
desecration.
Trump told Carlson, Musk in early 2025 that he
wouldn’t attack Iran — report-Excerpt from new book says anti-Israel
podcaster warned Trump Iran war would be the president’s ruin, while
world’s richest man was ‘transfixed’ by golden pager gifted by
Netanyahu-By ToI Staff Today, 11:50 am-JUN 20,26
US President
Donald Trump told erstwhile allies Elon Musk and Tucker Carlson in the
Oval Office early last year that he would not go to war with Iran,
according to a new book excerpted by The Guardian on Friday.The excerpt
from “Regime Change,” by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and
Jonathan Swan, was published after the US and Iran this week reached a
memorandum of understanding to end the regional conflict, over the
objections of Israeli officials.“‘They want you to go to war with
Iran,'” Carlson told the president, according to the excerpt, which did
not specify which “they” Carlson was referring to.“‘We’re not doing
that,’ Trump answered,” the book reportedly said.The book also
reportedly quoted Trump as telling Carlson: “I don’t think there’s ever
been an American president as powerful as I am.”“Struck by this hubris,”
Carlson replied that “certainly not since” four-term World War II-era
president Franklin Delano Roosevelt had the US seen such a powerful
leader, the book said, according to The Guardian.“‘Really, the only
thing that could wreck it is war with Iran,’” Carlson reportedly
added.Carlson, a right-wing Israeli critic whose popular podcast has
peddled antisemitic conspiracies, had already criticized Trump at the
time for failing to rein in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Gaza,
The Guardian said.Nevertheless, the president continued to “solicit
Carlson’s advice, believing he still had sway over a significant portion
of the base,” according to the excerpt.The Christian nationalist
podcaster, who was fired from Fox News for spreading conspiracies about
Trump’s 2020 election loss, has since broken with Trump over the 39-day
bombing campaign that the US and Israel launched on Iran on February
28.In April, Carlson said on his podcast that he was “tormented” by the
way he “misled” people to support Trump in the 2024 election, when the
president vowed no new wars in the Middle East.Trump’s meeting with Musk
and Carlson reportedly took place while Musk, who became the world’s
first trillionaire this month when his SpaceX company went public, still
led the Trump administration’s so-called Department of Government
Efficiency.Musk, who has also peddled antisemitism and let it
proliferate on social media he owns, quit the budget-slashing agency on
May 30, 2025 — indicating the three-way Oval Office meeting took place
before the US struck Iranian nuclear sites during the 12-day Israel-Iran
war last June.He broke with Trump publicly days later, amid criticism
of the president’s fiscal policy, though the feud appears to have
abated. Meanwhile, the 2025 US strikes on Iran turned into an early
flashpoint between Trump and Carlson, who condemned the attack as
“absolutely disgusting and evil.”According to the excerpt from “Regime
Change,” during the exchange between Trump and Carlson, Musk was
“transfixed” by a golden pager that Netanyahu had gifted Trump in an
homage to Israel’s September 2024 exploding pager attack against
Hezbollah.The shock attack, which required Israel to hoodwink the
Iran-backed terror group for years, preceded an Israeli invasion of
Lebanon that sought to put an end to Hezbollah’s months-long, incessant
attacks on northern Israel.Trump “regaled” Musk and Carlson at the Oval
Office with graphic details of damage and wounds sustained in that
attack, including “mutilated genitals and missing hands,” according to
the excerpt from “Regime Change.”“He grew volatile, repeating, ‘It’s
horrible, horrible!’” the excerpt said. “While he was taken by the
ingenuity, he showed a measure of disbelief at its recklessness.”
Teams
from both nations head to Swiss resort for Sunday meet-US, Iran set for
new talks; Trump threatens US tolls in Hormuz if deal not reached in 60
days-Vance heads to Switzerland, says hoping for progress on Lebanon
truce and nuclear issue; US denies Iran has shut strait; report: US to
push new UN inspections of Iran nuclear sites By ToI Staff and Agencies
Today, 5:41 am-JUN 21,26
A round of negotiations between the US
and Iran on implementing their agreement to end the war was set to kick
off in Switzerland on Sunday, with Iranian negotiators arriving in the
Swiss host city hours ahead of US Vice President JD Vance, even as
renewed tensions flared over Tehran’s claim that it had closed the
Strait of Hormuz once again.Before boarding his flight to Europe, Vance
told reporters he could “only be there for a day or two” and hoped to
“make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon
ceasefire issue. Those are the two big things that I think we’re going
to be focused on.”Asked whether the fighting in Lebanon was threatening
to derail the talks, Vance said: “Things are actually getting better
there, and things are slowing down a little bit.”“[Secretary of State
Marco Rubio] and the entire team have been actively managing what’s
going on in Lebanon,” he added.“Despite the headlines, things are
actually getting better there, and things are slowing down a little bit.
It’s going to be something we’re just going to have to continuously
manage to ensure that, you know, Israel and Lebanon are both safe and
secure,” he said.“That’s fundamentally the goal of this, to make the
whole region safe and secure. The big problem is that you have somebody
[who] will shoot and then somebody will respond, and you kind of have a
chicken and egg problem where you’ve just got to stop the shooting for
long enough to get the ceasefire to keep hold. That’s what we’re going
to try to do.”That remark appeared to decline to blame Hezbollah for the
recent flare-up, after Israeli officials said the terror group violated
the truce by mounting repeated attacks on IDF troops. One of those
killed a four-member tank crew and prompting deadly Israeli airstrikes
on Hezbollah targets in response.Iran, for its part, blamed Israel,
claiming its strikes violated the memorandum of understanding with the
US as well as the Lebanon ceasefire, and declared that it was therefore
shutting the Strait of Hormuz. The American military said in response
that this was untrue, that traffic was flowing in the key oil waterway,
and that Iran “doesn’t control” it.US President Donald Trump then
threatened to impose US tolls in the Strait of Hormuz if a final deal
with Iran isn’t reached in 60 days.Trump, spending the weekend at Camp
David, underscored that the initial agreement to end the war with Iran
calls for toll-free travel through the vital waterway for 60 days. Iran
has said it will comply, but has claimed ships need to coordinate with
its Revolutionary Guards regardless and pledged to introduce passage
fees after the 60-day period.“There will be NO TOLLS after the 60 day
period has expired, unless they are imposed by and for the United States
of America, should the deal not be completed,” Trump wrote on his Truth
Social platform.Trump said the money would be for “services rendered as
the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East for purposes of
both past, present, and future reimbursement of costs.”The US president
has faced a lot of blowback domestically for how the MOU with Iran
addresses the issue of tolls in the Strait of Hormuz. The deal only
secures toll-free passage for the 60-day period and doesn’t preclude
future fees.Iran and Switzerland said Saturday that Tehran’s delegation
had arrived at the Burgenstock resort ahead of the talks.Vance will head
the US delegation in Switzerland, which will include Jared Kushner and
Steve Witkoff. The Iranian team will be led by parliament speaker
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and include
senior security, central bank and oil officials.Mediator Pakistan said
its premier Shehbaz Sharif was also traveling to the mountaintop resort
and would hold meetings with the delegations of both sides.The initial
US goal in the talks is to secure an agreement from Iran for
International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to inspect Iran’s nuclear
sites for the first time since the 12-day war in June 2025, Channel 12
reported Saturday.In return for Iran’s consent to allow the inspectors
to return to the sites — presumably including Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan,
which were bombed by the US last year — the US is willing to unfreeze
several billion dollars in Iranian assets held in Qatar, the report
said, with those funds to be used by the regime to purchase food,
medicines and other humanitarian needs.Most of Iran’s 440-kilogram
stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 percent — a short step from
weapons-grade — is believed by the IAEA to be stored at Isfahan, with
lesser quantities at Natanz and Fordo.A source familiar with the matter
has told The Times of Israel that the IAEA’s director general, Rafael
Grossi, is slated to participate in Sunday’s technical talks.The talks
in Switzerland had been scheduled to begin on Friday, after the US and
Iran signed their memorandum of understanding on Wednesday. But they
were delayed due to friction over the ongoing fighting between Hezbollah
and Israel.The crisis in Lebanon has been resolved, at least for now,
with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructing the IDF to “hold its
fire” in Lebanon, the report said.Channel 12 quoted a senior US official
saying that the US had demanded that Israel cease fire in Lebanon,
except in self-defense.Israel had no part in negotiating the MOU, and
Netanyahu has distanced himself from it. Still, the terms of the opening
clause, permanently ending the war and ruling out any resumption,
indicate that it is binding on the US, Iran “and their allies.” Israeli
officials are bitterly opposed to the deal’s terms, which resolve none
of the war’s key goals — notably, eliminating Iran’s nuclear and
ballistic missile programs, and creating the conditions for the fall of
the regime.
Vance lands in Switzerland as Iran says Strait of
Hormuz is closed over ceasefire violations-Iran and the U.S. have both
shown frustration with Israel for continuing to strike Lebanon despite
the deal signed this week, which committed to end fighting on all
fronts.June 20, 2026, 7:54 AM EDT / Updated June 21, 2026, 1:10 AM
EDT-By Mithil Aggarwal and Dan De Luce
Iran said Saturday that
the Strait of Hormuz is closed, citing ceasefire violations after Israel
continued deadly strikes in southern Lebanon overnight.The Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy warned ships not to approach the
waterway, which Iran had committed to reopening under the interim peace
deal signed this week. It said in a statement that vessels’ safety would
be at risk if they did so.Iran’s top joint military command said the
closure was the “first step” in response to what were described as
breaches of commitments by the U.S. and Israel, according to Iran’s
semiofficial Mehr news agency.In a social media post Saturday, President
Donald Trump threatened to impose U.S tolls in the strait if a final
deal with Iran isn’t reached within 60 days. The current agreement
establishes toll-free travel through the strait for 60 days.Trump did
not address Iran’s assertion that the waterway is closed.Early Saturday,
Israeli strikes killed at least 16 people, including two children,
according to Lebanese civil defense and media, one day after the U.S.
said Israel and the militant group Hezbollah had implemented a fresh
ceasefire at Trump’s request.The continued military bombardment has
threatened to derail the fragile U.S. peace talks with Iran, which
specified that fighting must end on all fronts, including Lebanon.
Though Israel was not a direct party to that deal, Iran has warned that
it would consider Israeli strikes a violation of the terms.Vice
President JD Vance landed in Switzerland early Sunday, joining Trump’s
special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner in the ongoing
negotiations.Speaking to reporters before he boarded the plane, Vance
said that the situation in Lebanon had “calmed down” despite news
reports, and added, “I think we’re going to hopefully make progress on
the nuclear issue, hopefully make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire
issue. Those are the two big things that I think we’re going to be
focused on.”Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced
“technical-level talks” will take place Sunday, with U.S. and Iranian
representatives joined by mediators from Qatar and Pakistan.Esmail
Baghaei, a spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, told Iranian media the
trip was a “mission to demand the fulfillment of the other side’s
obligations,” adding that “negotiations for a final agreement” will
begin when such obligations are implemented.Iran’s Parliament Speaker
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will lead
the Iranian delegation, he said, according to Iranian state TV.Officials
from Tehran and Washington were originally set to meet in Switzerland
on Friday to begin 60 days of negotiations on a “final” deal, but those
talks were postponed. The negotiations are meant to resolve some of the
thorniest issues in the deal that are yet to be agreed upon, including
Iran’s nuclear program.Israel continues strikes on southern Lebanon
despite U.S.-Iran agreement-Israel hit a series of towns across
Lebanon’s south early Saturday, Lebanese news agency NNA reported. An
airstrike on the town of Arabsalim reportedly killed three people, the
agency reported, and a drone strike on the town of Deir al-Zahrani
reportedly killed one person. At least seven people remain trapped under
the rubble, it said. Lebanon’s army said a soldier was killed between
Kfar Rumman and Nabatieh in southern Lebanon.A previous wave of strikes
on Friday killed 83 people, Lebanon’s Ministry of Health said.A
statement from the Israel Defense Forces said Hezbollah had breached the
ceasefire and “launched more than 50 projectiles toward IDF soldiers
operating in southern Lebanon” overnight, and that Israel had attacked
what it described as Hezbollah targets in response. “The IDF remains
committed to the ceasefire agreement,” the statement said.Hezbollah said
it had “adhered to the ceasefire since Friday evening,” accusing Israel
of making false claims to justify its attacks in an effort to “sabotage
the agreement” between Iran and the U.S.IDF spokesperson Brig. Gen.
Effie Defrin said Friday that Israeli forces will continue to operate in
southern Lebanon and “do whatever is necessary to protect our
civilians.”U.S. spy agencies believe that Israel will likely continue to
launch attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon, potentially jeopardizing
the tentative peace deal, according to a source with knowledge of the
intelligence assessments.LEBANON-ISRAEL-IRAN-US-WAR-Israel’s continued
strikes on Lebanon have worsened a widening rift between the Trump
administration and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right
allies, who have criticized the Iran deal as not in Israel’s interest
and agitated for more strikes on Lebanon. Netanyahu is also facing a
crucial election in October and will likely need the support of the
Israeli far right to stay in power.“Netanyahu is in a challenging
political spot,” Jonathan Panikoff, a former career intelligence officer
now at the Atlantic Council think tank, told NBC News in an email.
“When combined with the broad view that Iran has emerged strategically
stronger, Netanyahu finds himself trapped.”Netanyahu’s vow to occupy
southern Lebanon and Israel’s decision to strike both Iran and Lebanon
while an initial deal was being hammered out repeatedly delayed talks,
fueling frustration among U.S. officials.Vance hit out at Israeli
officials Thursday, saying that Israel does not appreciate American
support.Despite the rising tensions over Lebanon, there had been hope
that ships trapped in the Persian Gulf will be able to transit through
the Strait of Hormuz since the deal was signed. Industry experts have
warned, however, that it could take weeks for the shipping traffic to
fully normalize, given that the threat of mines still needs to be
cleared.In a statement on X that did not acknowledge the apparent
closure of the strait, U.S. Central Command said that 55 merchant ships
transited the waterway on Saturday, “moving large amounts of cargo and
more than 17 million barrels of oil to global markets.”U.S. forces
“remain present and vigilant to ensure all aspects of the agreement with
Iran are adhered to, obeyed, and in full force and effect,” the
statement said.The White House and Israeli prime minister’s office did
not immediately respond to requests for comment on the Iranian
declaration.Mithil Aggarwal-Dan De Luce is a reporter for the NBC News
Investigative Unit.Reuters contributed.
PROOF HALF ON EARTH DIE
DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD (8 BILLION ON EARTH) (DO NOT EVER
LISTEN TO ANYBODY THAT SAYS THE WORLD IS ENDING.ITS NEVER GONNA HAPPEN-4
BILLION WILL BE LEFT ON EARTH TO GO INTO JESUS" 1000 YEAR RULE)(THAT
DOES NOT SOUND LIKE THE END OF THE WORLD TO ANY ONE, DOES IT-NOT ME.THE
EARTH IS JUST RENOVATED.NEVER ENDED.
REVELATION 6:7-8 (8 BILLION- 2 BILLION = 6 BILLION)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8
And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that
sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given
unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 BILLION) to kill with
sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE
DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18
By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the
fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their
mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)
HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
LUKE
17:34-37 (8 TOTAL BILLION - 4 BILLION DEAD IN TRIB = 4 BILLION TO JESUS
KINGDOM) (HALF DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD JUST LIKE THE
BIBLE SAYS)(GOD DOES NOT LIE)(AND NOTICE MOST DIE IN WAR AND
DISEASES-NOT COMETS-ASTEROIDS-QUAKES OR TSUNAMIS)
34 I tell you, in
that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN
WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.(half earths population 4
billion die in the 7 yr trib)
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37
And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto
them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered
together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against
Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten
by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE
SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE
CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH
IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.
MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38
For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe
entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
WORLD TERRORISM
GENESIS 6:11-13
11
The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with
violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS 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 (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and,
behold, I will destroy them with the earth.(CAN YOU SAY
TORNADOES,HURRICANES,VOLCANOES,EARTH QUAKES,LANDSLIDES,FLASH
FLOODING,EXPLOSIONS,SNOW STORMS,THEN FINALLY NUKESAND ANY OTHER
JUDGEMENTS THE EARTH CAN VOMIT THE SINNERS OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH
WITH.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and
kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there
shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and
troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11
And great earthquakes shall be in divers places,(DIFFERNT PLACES AT THE
SAME TIME) and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great
signs shall there be from heaven.
2 Peter 3:6-7 Amplified Bible (AMP) (HOT SUN, NUKES ETC)
6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.
7
By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire,
being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
LUKE 21:25-26
25
And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in
the moon,(MAN ON THE MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the
stars;(ASTEROIDS-PROPHECY SIGNS) and upon the earth distress of nations,
with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE
WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for
fear,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things
which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION) for the powers of heaven
shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)
GENESIS 16:11-12
11
And the angel of the LORD said unto her,(HAGAR) Behold, thou art with
child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(FATHER OF
THE ARAB/MUSLIMS) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And
he (ISHMAEL-FATHER OF THE ARAB-MUSLIMS) will be a wild (DONKEY-JACKASS)
man;(ISLAM IS A FAKE AND DANGEROUS SEX FOR MURDER CULT) his hand will be
against every man,(ISLAM HATES EVERYONE) and every man's hand against
him;(PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM BEING BEHEADED) and he (ISHMAEL
ARAB/MUSLIM) shall dwell in the presence of all his
brethren.(LITERAL-THE ARABS LIVE WITH THEIR BRETHERN JEWS)
ISAIAH 14:12-14
12
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the
morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground,
which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine
heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars
of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the
sides of the north:
14 I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above
the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF
THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)
JOHN 16:2
2
They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that
whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM
MURDERS IN THE NAME OF MOON GOD ALLAH OF ISLAM)
And here are the
bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or
peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels
land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the
future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan,
Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq
west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe
23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN
THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE
FUTURE.
Joel 3:2-King James Version (YOU DIVIDE JERUSALEM IN
HALF - YOUR POKING GOD IN THE EYE - GOD SAYS AN EYE FOR AN EYE AND A
TOOTH FOR A TOOTH- YOU WANNA DIVIDE JERUSALEM IN HALF - HALF OF EARTHS
POPULATION 4 BILLION DIE ON EARTH.
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 and for my heritage Israel, whom they have
scattered among the nations, and parted my land.
And here are
the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war
or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only
Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land
in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel,
Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half
of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18,
Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY
OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND
IN THE FUTURE.
LUKE 19:40
40 And He answered and said unto them, “I tell you that if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.”
FINALLY ISLAM IS GETTING ITS TERROR REWARDS AGAINST THEMSELVES ON THEIR HEADS.THE BEGINNING OF JUDGEMENT AGAINST ARABS-MUSLIMS.
Counterterror
police probe after 5 hurt in apparent anti-Muslim attacks in
Edinburgh-Shirtless man filmed wielding knife in Scottish city’s
streets, yelling during arrest he’s ‘protecting the country from these
fucking Muslim bastards raping our young daughters’By Jill Lawless
Today, 3:47 am-JUN 21,26
LONDON (AP) — Counterterrorism
detectives in Scotland were investigating after five people were injured
in attacks in Edinburgh that appeared to target Muslims, police said
Saturday.Police Scotland said that a 36-year-old man was arrested late
Friday after officers received multiple reports of attacks in the west
and north of the city.The force said that five men — two of them age 22,
and others ages 24, 27 and 39 — sustained a range of injuries and three
needed hospital treatment. None of the injuries is considered
life-threatening.The charity Muslim Engagement and Development said that
several of those injured are Muslim. The Scottish Association of
Mosques said that two of the injured men were attacked after attending
prayers at their local mosque.UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that
the suspect “appears to be motivated by anti-Muslim hatred.”“I will not
tolerate this — he will face the full force of the law,” Starmer said in
a post on X.????????‼️???? BREAKING: A SCOT WENT ON AN ANTI MUSLIM
RAMPAGE WITH AN AXE! The Scot: "I'm protecting the country from these
fucking Muslim bastards raping our young daughters!" Advertisement 5
people were injured, the Police said none of the injuries seem to be
life-threatening. Two of the injured… pic.twitter.com/ZuiapradRW — Lord
Bebo (@MyLordBebo) June 20, 2026-Video posted on social media appeared
to show a shirtless man carrying a long weapon roaming a street and
battering a restaurant door in the Scottish capital. Another video
seemed to show the same man on the ground shouting about “protecting the
country from these fucking Muslim bastards raping our young daughters”
while being held by a police officer.UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood
said that she was “horrified by news of the attack in Edinburgh.“There
is no place for hatred and violence against Muslims,” she said. “I know
it is not who we are as a country.”The Muslim Council of Britain said in
a statement that the Muslim community is “rightly nervous and worried.”
It said that the violence was “a direct consequence of political
rhetoric that demonizes entire communities.”Police Scotland Assistant
Chief Constable Catriona Paton said that it was a “shocking” incident.
She said that officers “are being supported by Counter Terrorism
Policing.“I want to send a clear message of support to all our
communities that there is no place for racism or faith-based hate in
Scotland, which is at its best when we stand together,” she said.Times
of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Dead reportedly
include a Lebanese soldier, two children-Despite truce, IDF hits Lebanon
after repeated Hezbollah attacks; at least 27 said killed-Military says
it remains committed to day-old ceasefire, does not comment on
Iran-backed terror group’s claim it that it attacked Israeli troops
advancing in south Lebanon By Emanuel Fabian and Agencies Today, 4:00
pm-JUN 20,26
Israel carried out a wave of strikes in southern and
eastern Lebanon overnight and into Saturday morning, saying that the
Israel Defense Forces was targeting Hezbollah after the Iran-backed
terror group attacked troops in violation of a day-old ceasefire.
Lebanese media and first responders reported at least 27 people killed
and 26 wounded in the strikes.The IDF said it was “committed to the
ceasefire agreement in accordance with the directives of the political
echelon,” but struck Hezbollah in south Lebanon after the terror group
fired “some 50 projectiles at Israeli troops” in separate overnight
incidents in the area.The military did not provide information on
casualties from Hezbollah’s attacks, which the IDF said “constitute
repeated violations of the ceasefire agreement.”“The IDF will not accept
harm to Israeli civilians and its forces, and will respond forcefully
to any use of force against them,” the military said, adding that the
Hezbollah targets struck Saturday included rocket launchers, weapon
depots and command centers.Hezbollah also claimed it had “adhered to the
ceasefire” since Friday afternoon, but attacked Israeli forces
attempting to advance in south Lebanon overnight.“Hezbollah broke the
ceasefire, not Israel,” Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter wrote
Saturday on X. “Terrorists lie. Hezbollah is a terrorist organization.
Hezbollah lies.”He also said that “Iran is using its proxy to extract
concessions” and that “Israel has no territorial ambitions in
Lebanon.”“Israel is honoring the ceasefire while defending itself
against terrorist attacks, as any self-respecting country would,” added
Leiter, who said there would be “more details to come.”Israel’s
continued strikes in Lebanon have confounded US-Iran peace efforts and
elicited unprecedented criticism from the White House.On Saturday,
Lebanese state media said Israeli planes and drones struck across the
Nabatieh region overnight and into the morning, destroying residential
buildings and houses, while Israeli artillery shelled the city and its
outskirts before dawn.The Lebanese army said one of its soldiers was
killed in an Israeli strike on the Kfarrumman-Nabatieh road.“The
continuation of brutal Israeli attacks aims to obstruct any solution
that would allow for restoring stability in Lebanon,” the Lebanese army
said.IDF strikes were also reported in Hezbollah’s eastern Beqaa Valley
heartland, where Lebanon’s National News Agency said a strike hit a home
in the town of Sohmor, killing four people and wounding one.“A child is
still under the rubble and rescue teams are working to extract him,”
NNA reported.An earlier strike in the southern town of Barsh, in the
Tyre district, hit a three-story residential building, killing a father,
mother and their two children, a local official told Reuters.A separate
mid-day strike in the town of Qennarit, near Sidon, killed seven people
and wounded 13, according to local media.In a statement, Hezbollah said
it had attacked Israeli troops who tried to capture the Nabatieh-area
Ali Taher ridge overnight. The military, which assesses Hezbollah has a
major tunnel system built under the hill, did not comment on the
claim.According to Hezbollah, its fighters ambushed advancing Israeli
troops. The terror group said that “alongside its commitment to the
ceasefire, it will not tolerate any attempt by the enemy to seize land
and expand its occupation.”Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah also said
in a statement that the terror group has the right to respond to
Israeli attacks.“There is talk of a ceasefire. For us, what concerns us
is that the enemy fully and comprehensively respects the ceasefire, and
doesn’t attempt to attack our country and villages or seek to occupy any
new position,” Fadlallah said in a statement. “The resistance has the
full right to confront this enemy when it attacks us, as it is the
aggressor and the occupier.”Israeli strikes in south Lebanon and the
Beqaa on Friday had killed over 40 people, according to the Lebanese
health ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and
civilians. The strikes came after Hezbollah killed four Israeli soldiers
and wounded others in separate incidents in south Lebanon.Following
Friday’s flare-up, a US official announced a truce that began at 4 p.m.
local time. Israeli and Hezbollah sources confirmed the agreement to
Reuters.Previous ceasefires reached in US-brokered Israeli-Lebanese
talks have failed to stick, with Hezbollah rejecting the talks out of
hand and slamming the Lebanese government for negotiating directly with
Israel.The latest truce appeared as fragile as ever, because it keeps
Israeli forces in the large buffer zone the IDF established in south
Lebanon. Hezbollah has used the buffer zone as a pretext to keep up
attacks on Israeli troops and border communities.Iran also demands a
full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, and the memorandum of
understanding signed by the US and Iran this week calls for an end to
all regional hostilities, including Lebanon. Israel is not a party to
the agreement and has vowed to stay put in Lebanon.Hezbollah renewed its
attacks on Israel in March in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s
supreme leader Ali Khamenei at the start of the US-Israeli bombing
campaign in Iran on February 28.Hezbollah at the time also cited
Israel’s continued presence and attacks in Lebanon since the November
2024 Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire agreement, which had ended over a year
of hostilities initiated by the terror group.Israel has said its
continued operations in Lebanon since the 2024 agreement were required
because the Lebanese government had failed its requirement under the
deal to disarm Hezbollah.Hezbollah’s renewed attacks on Israel in March
triggered massive Israeli airstrikes and a full-scale invasion of
Lebanon, where authorities say close to 4,000 people have been killed
and hundreds of thousands displaced.The IDF says it has since early
March killed over 2,500 Hezbollah operatives, including hundreds of
members of the terror group’s elite Radwan Force.Israeli forces have
lost 35 IDF soldiers and a Defense Ministry civilian contractor since
March 2. Two civilians were also killed by Hezbollah rockets, and an
Israeli civilian was mistakenly killed in the north by Israeli artillery
shelling.
Fighting comes amid pressure for truce during US-Iran
talks-4-person IDF tank crew, including battalion chief, killed by
Hezbollah in south Lebanon-Five soldiers hurt, including reservist
officer who’s seriously wounded, in same village hours later, IDF says;
Lebanon reports 18 killed, 33 hurt in Israeli strikes since midnight By
Emanuel Fabian and ToI Staff 19 June 2026, 12:25 pm
Four IDF
soldiers were killed overnight in a Hezbollah attack in the southern
Lebanese village of Kfar Tebnit, and five soldiers were wounded there
hours later, the military said Friday.Lebanon’s health ministry,
meanwhile, reported at least 18 people killed by Israeli strikes. The
tally does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.The violence
was the latest in deadly clashes between Israel and the Iran-backed
terror group that have continued in Lebanon since the US and Iran this
week reached a memorandum of understanding that committed them and their
allies to halt hostilities in the country.Israel, which was not party
to the MOU, has rebuffed Iranian demands that it withdraw from a buffer
zone in south Lebanon meant to protect border towns against Hezbollah
attacks. A US official told Axios that Iranian anger over Israeli
military activity there may be the reason US-Iranian talks scheduled for
Friday were canceled.In the Hezbollah attack shortly past midnight, a
suspected drone or anti-tank missile struck the tank of Lt. Col. Dor
Gedalia Ben Simhon, commander of the 401st Armored Brigade’s 52nd
Battalion, killing all four crew members, the IDF said.The names of the
three other soldiers killed in the incident will be published later. The
exact cause of the explosion is under further investigation by the
IDF.Ben Simhon, 32, from Kibbutz Beit HaShita in northern Israel, is
survived by two daughters and a wife who serves as a combat officer in
the Border Defense Corps.Ben Simhon served in several roles in the 401st
Brigade throughout his military career. During the fighting with
Hezbollah in 2024, he served as the chief of staff for the head of the
Northern Command.He took the helm of the 52nd Battalion on April 20
after the battalion’s commander was seriously wounded in south
Lebanon.Hours after the deadly strike on Ben Simhon’s tank, an explosive
drone launched by Hezbollah struck forces of the Commando Brigade in
Kfar Tebnit, wounding five soldiers, one of them seriously, according to
the IDF.The seriously wounded soldier was identified as a reservist
officer. The four other wounded soldiers included three reservists and
an NCO.The IDF said the troops were taken to a hospital for treatment
and their families were notified.In a statement, Hezbollah said it would
continue to defend the Kfar Tebnit area, including the Ali Taher ridge,
under which the terror group reportedly has a major tunnel
system.Lebanon says 18 killed, 33 wounded in Israeli strikes since
midnight-The IDF said it killed dozens of Hezbollah operatives in
strikes on over 80 targets in southern and eastern Lebanon since
Thursday night, after the terror group launched several attacks on
troops.Targets that were hit overnight in Nabatieh and other areas of
southern Lebanon included Hezbollah command centers, rocket launchers,
and other infrastructure, the IDF said.Two manned Hezbollah command
centers in the eastern Beqaa Valley, a stronghold of the terror group,
were also struck later on Friday morning, according to the
military.“During the strikes, dozens of Hezbollah terrorists who were
operating in those command centers were eliminated,” the military said,
adding that the strikes came in response to Hezbollah’s “repeated
violations” of the ceasefire.Separately, overnight, Hezbollah fired
several rockets at troops in southern Lebanon. No troops were injured.
The IDF said it then carried out strikes to destroy the launch site and
kill two Hezbollah operatives who fled the site on a
motorcycle.Lebanon’s health ministry said the IDF strikes since midnight
“have prevented the evacuation of the martyrs and wounded, and have
resulted in a preliminary toll of 18 martyrs and 33 wounded” in at least
10 southern Lebanese localities.The clashes threaten to complicate
US-Iran talks. Iran says the MOU will be void if Israel remains in
Lebanon, while Israel has insisted it will stay put and continue to
adhere to a separate US-brokered ceasefire deal with the Lebanese
government, with which Israel is also negotiating directly.The US has
avoided calling publicly for a withdrawal but US President Donald Trump
has called for a “complete ceasefire” and expressed mounting anger at
Israel’s actions in Lebanon.Israeli officials have railed against the
MOU for restricting Israel in Lebanon and for providing Iran with
economic relief without any concrete concessions from Tehran on its
nuclear program. US Vice President JD Vance, in turn, lashed out at
Israeli critics of the deal, and of Trump, in comments on Thursday.One
of those critics, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir,
said Friday that “all of Lebanon must burn” following the deadly
Hezbollah attack.“For every tear of an Israeli mother, a thousand
Lebanese mothers must cry,” he said. “With all due respect to the
Americans, Israel must make clear to the whole world that the blood of
our sons and the security of our citizens are not expendable.”Meanwhile,
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Israel must “respect” the
US-Iran agreement.“This agreement provides for a cessation of
hostilities, the Israeli government must respect it, and the United
States in particular must exert all the necessary pressure on the
Israeli government to ensure that this is the case,” Barrot said on
FranceInfo radio.He also said Paris was working to hold an international
conference to mobilize support for the Lebanese army.Under a November
2024 Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal, the Lebanese army was supposed to
disarm the terror group, but has so far failed to do so, which Israel
has cited, along with persistent Hezbollah attacks on northern border
towns, as the reason for the continued IDF operations in the country
since that agreement.In the US-brokered Israeli-Lebanese talks that
began in April, the sides affirmed their support for the 2024 agreement,
which ended over a year of hostilities initiated by Hezbollah until the
terror group resumed its fire at the beginning of the Iran war. The
terror group has refused to give up its arms and slammed the Lebanese
government for negotiating directly with Israel.Israel launched a
full-scale invasion of Lebanon after Hezbollah in early March began
firing rockets at Israel again.Hezbollah’s rocket fire came in
retaliation for the killing of its sponsor Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali
Khamenei at the start of the US-Israeli bombing campaign in Iran on
February 28.The fighting in Iran entered a truce on April 8 even as
Israel and Hezbollah continued exchanging fire.Thirty-five IDF soldiers
and one Defense Ministry civilian contractor have been killed in
southern Lebanon amid fighting against Hezbollah since hostilities
escalated amid the Iran war.Two civilians were also killed by Hezbollah
rockets, and an Israeli civilian was mistakenly killed in the north by
Israeli artillery shelling.Hundreds of thousands have been displaced and
over 3,800 people killed in Lebanon, according to the United Nations
and local authorities.Israel says it has killed over 2,500 Hezbollah
operatives, including hundreds of members of the terror group’s elite
Radwan Force, since early March.Agencies contributed to this report.
Swastikas,
hate speech reportedly printed in NYC UN-affiliated middle school
yearbook-New York’s UN International School, which serves diplomats’
children, says it seized yearbooks and is probing incident, which
Israeli parent says is part of a ‘deep-seated problem’By ToI Staff
Today, 10:18 am-JUN 20,26
Swastikas and homophobic comments were
reportedly printed in an eighth-grade yearbook of the United Nations
International School in New York, a UN-affiliated institution that
teaches the children of diplomats.The school canceled the eighth grade’s
end-of-year party over the incident and has launched an internal
investigation, the Ynet news site reported Thursday, citing Israeli and
Jewish parents of students at the school, where a swastika was also
found etched in a boys’ locker room earlier this year.UNIS, where annual
tuition costs run up to about $50,000, is also facing a lawsuit from
earlier this year by a Jewish veteran French teacher who claims the
institution has ignored repeated complaints about antisemitic and
anti-Israel abuse from both students and staff.The Ynet report did not
include pictures or quotes from the yearbook, but UNIS spokesperson Lupe
Todd-Medina confirmed to the news site that school yearbooks had
contained “hateful language.”“We are shocked by the hateful language
found in the junior school yearbooks and unequivocally condemn
identity-based harm,” the spokesperson said. “Upon learning of the
incident, school leadership immediately confiscated the remaining
yearbooks and launched a comprehensive investigation.”Israeli diplomats
whose children attend UNIS slammed the school’s response for speaking
broadly about “identity-based harm” without explicitly calling out
antisemitism, Ynet reported.“Nothing surprises us anymore,” Ynet quoted
an Israeli parent as saying. “It feels implausible to present every
incident like this as an isolated case and not a deep-seated
problem.”Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon brought up the Ynet
report at the General Assembly on Thursday, when the UN marked the
International Day for Countering Hate Speech.“This is a pattern: first
come the chants, then come the threats, then come the attacks,” he
said.On the International Day for Countering Hate Speech, the world
received a particularly troubling reminder: swastikas and hateful
messages were reportedly printed in yearbooks at a UN-affiliated school
in New York. While the United Nations continues to hold discussions on…
pic.twitter.com/6gcyveWc5r — Danny Danon ???????? ×“× ×™ ×“× ×•×Ÿ (@dannydanon)
June 18, 2026-Danon also wrote on X: “While the United Nations
continues to hold discussions on tolerance and combating hatred,
antisemitism continues to surface even within institutions associated
with it.”Israeli officials regularly accuse the UN of hostility to
Israel and Jews for its rhetoric against Israel during the Gaza war
sparked by the Hamas-led onslaught of October 7, 2023. Israel has also
alleged that the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, collaborates
with Hamas and that employees of the agency took part in the October 7
attack and held hostages in Gaza.
Top Shas rabbi: US-Iran deal is
divine punishment for arrests of Haredi draft dodgers-Ex-Sephardic
chief rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, known for controversial remarks on matters of
religion and state, says ‘garbage’ attorney general to blame for
Trump’s ‘turn against’ Israel By Sam Sokol-Today, 8:52 am-JUN 21,26
Former
Sephardic chief rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, who is also the spiritual leader
of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, said the emerging US-Iran peace deal
–which many Israelis see as a betrayal by US President Donald Trump —
was a divine punishment for Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara’s
efforts to crack down on Haredi draft evaders.“Yeshiva students since
the time of [Israel’s first prime minister David] Ben-Gurion have been
exempted [from military service] and engaged in Torah study. The Torah
protects us,” asserted the former chief rabbi during his weekly Saturday
evening lecture. “Why did [Trump] turn against us for no reason?
Because of the decrees they issue against the students of Torah; that is
why he turned against us.”“Stop the arrests,” he demanded. “This woman,
this wicked woman, is garbage.”The ultra-Orthodox community has
significantly ramped up both its actions and its rhetoric against
efforts to detain draft evaders in recent weeks, with mass protests
shutting down major roads throughout the country on more than one
occasion, and lawmakers threatening to cease cooperation with the
police.The escalation was prompted by an Israel Police decision to begin
detaining draft evaders, in line with an order from the High Court of
Justice.The IDF has sent out tens of thousands of enlistment orders to
ultra-Orthodox men over the past two years, after the blanket exemptions
enjoyed by the community were revoked by the High Court in 2024. Most
have ignored the draft notices and are thus classified as draft evaders,
subject to arrest or other sanctions.While the military has made no
move to arrest all 80,000 ultra-Orthodox men aged 18-24 believed to be
eligible for service, the detainment of even a small fraction has
ignited anger.As an advocate for these sanctions, the attorney general
has become a frequent target of ire from Haredi lawmakers and other
public officials.Earlier this month, United Torah Judaism lawmaker MK
Meir Porush declared that if Baharav-Miara “does not stop persecuting
Torah scholars,” there would be “no choice” but to “drive her out with
sticks and stones.”In addition to issuing threats against the attorney
general, ultra-Orthodox lawmakers have, in recent weeks, threatened a
tax revolt; called on police to disobey orders; demanded local
authorities halt cooperation with law enforcement; and announced that
they would seek to dissolve the Knesset and trigger early
elections.Their rhetoric has trickled down through the communities they
represent, where demonstrators, particularly those affiliated with the
extremist Jerusalem Faction, have taken to the streets in an effort to
block the arrests of military-aged men.Some of these protests have
turned violent, including one outside the central Israel city of Bnei
Brak last week, where police used stun grenades and batons to disperse
protesters who were blocking traffic.Protesters have also, in recent
weeks, tried to break into the home of Supreme Court Deputy Chief
Justice Noam Sohlberg, forced their way into a police compound in Beit
Shemesh, and broken into the home of the Military Police chief while his
family was inside.Yosef, the son of influential Sephardic rabbi Ovadia
Yosef, has garnered a reputation for controversial remarks on matters of
religion and state.In October 2025, he was heard in a recording calling
a fellow rabbi and bereaved father of a slain soldier a “heretic” for
supporting measures to enlist yeshiva students.And in May of that year,
he warned that if the government were to begin arresting yeshiva
students for evading draft orders, then the ultra-Orthodox community
would be forced to leave Israel.“If they force us to go to the army, the
yeshiva students, if they come to yeshivas and arrest students, [then]
we have no right to exist here [and] we will all go abroad, we will not
stay here,” Yosef said at the time.
Inside story 'Gaza has become
the capital of Israeli fantasies'Backed and armed by Israel, Gaza
militias talk big but make little headway against Hamas-Groups boast of
gains in reshaping the enclave, but experts say they’ve had almost no
impact, and Israelis should be questioning if apparent bid to replace
Hamas with gun-toting gangs is a good idea By Nurit Yohanan-Today, 8:30
am-JUN 21,26
Late last month, an anti-Hamas militia in Gaza
published footage on Facebook showing one of its operatives using a
several-meter-long drone, seemingly marking the first known public
documentation of one of Gaza’s militias using a military-grade UAV.“The
People’s Army led by Ashraf al-Mansi announces the successful
introduction of several drones into service,” the statement read.“Maj.
Gen. Ghassan Dehini has already announced the successful execution of
several operations using them,” the announcement crowed, referring to
the leader of another militia who is seen as the unofficial leader of
the entire network of armed groups.For the past year, Israel has
provided groups like The People’s Army with weapons, air support,
intelligence, food, and cigarettes, and has airlifted wounded militia
members into Israel for medical care. It has also provided them with
light weapons, largely rifles, but the video showed the militias may now
be receiving more sophisticated arms as well.A year after Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu first acknowledged that Israel was arming
militias in Gaza, much about Jerusalem’s backing for the array of small
armed groups operating in defiance of Hamas, including criminal gangs,
remains vague and opaque, including what strategy, if any, Israel is
pursuing.“Gaza has become the capital of Israeli fantasies. And that
includes the operation of these militias,” said Michael Milshtein, an
expert on Palestinian affairs and a longtime critic of the idea of
backing the armed groups.In the year since Netanyahu’s announcement, the
Israeli government has largely avoided publicly addressing the issue,
and the IDF has repeatedly declined to answer questions about the
militias’ activities.At the same time, the militias themselves have
increasingly publicized their activities on social media, providing a
limited window into Israel’s Gazan allies.Footage and statements
released by the groups point to forces numbering at most a few hundred
armed men. Their operations appear sporadic but ongoing, involving
clashes with Hamas alongside efforts aimed at boosting their popularity
among Gaza residents, such as distributing food ahead of Muslim
holidays.The militias do not appear to have posed any major challenge to
Hamas’s continuing rule in populated parts of Gaza, and their broader
operational goals remain unclear.The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit declined to
answer The Times of Israel’s questions about the militias, including
whether the drones were supplied by Israel, as is widely suspected. The
Prime Minister’s Office did not respond to requests for comment on the
militias’ ties to Israel. The Defense Ministry referred questions to the
IDF.Milshtein, head of the Palestinian Studies Forum at Tel Aviv
University’s Moshe Dayan Center, told The Times of Israel that giving
the groups UAVs was a major mistake and liable to backfire.The militias
“will eventually turn to terrorism themselves, or Hamas will get its
hands on the drones and use them against us,” he predicted.Many groups,
few civilians-According to Milshtein, who studies Gaza closely and
remains in contact with residents there, the militias have had little
meaningful impact on the situation in the Strip, beyond damaging
Israel’s interests.Michael Barak, a senior researcher at Reichman
University’s International Institute for Counter-Terrorism, agreed that
the militias had had little tangible impact in Gaza over the past
year.However, he argued that the groups provided value to the IDF as an
allied force willing to work with it against Hamas.“It’s good for us as
long as there is a Gazan population willing to cooperate with Israel,
clear areas of mines or Hamas operatives,” he told The Times of
Israel.There appear to be five separate armed militias active in Gaza,
based on social media posts. The groups, all of which were established
between April and September 2025, are based in areas under Israel
Defense Forces control, though they occasionally launch operations,
including armed raids, into areas controlled by Hamas.Some of the groups
have previously said they were seeking to set up enclaves where
civilians would live under their protection, free from Hamas.In
practice, however, nearly all of Gaza’s approximately 2 million
residents live in the 40 percent of the enclave where Hamas continues to
exercise governing power.Last year, a senior member of the al-Shabab
militia told The Times of Israel that about 5,000 civilians were living
under the group’s protection in an area east of Rafah.With the IDF
barring Gazan civilians from crossing the Yellow Line demarcating the de
facto border of the area controlled by Hamas, Palestinians have no way
to reach the militia-controlled zones even if they wanted to.“The
Palestinian street today does not want Hamas,” said Hussam al-Astal, who
leads a militia operating east of Khan Younis. “People are exhausted
from all of this, they do not want Hamas anymore, people want to live.
Thousands are telling us they are waiting for the IDF to tell them they
can move into the Yellow Line areas because they want to come.”However,
Milshtein said that Gazans he spoke with expressed hostility toward
militia members.Gazans living in areas of the enclave under Hamas rule
have also told The Times of Israel they do not support the groups,
though it is impossible to know if their comments are skewed by Hamas
repression of public dissent.Saif Odeh, a resident of Gaza City, told
The Times of Israel in May that the groups would not help Israeli
authorities build trust with Gaza’s residents.“The militias in Gaza are
something all factions oppose — both Fatah and Hamas,” he said,
seemingly referencing the idea that the armed gangs were not
representative of Palestinian national interests.Al-Astal previously
told The Times of Israel that the militias hope to become part of a “new
Gaza” rebuilt after the Hamas era. Plans for Gaza’s rehabilitation
under US President Donald Trump’s 20-point ceasefire proposal, which
does not include the militias, are currently stuck due to Hamas’s
refusal to disarm.Much of the militias’ activity on social media appears
aimed at conveying the message that Hamas is weak and that Gazans
support the armed groups, who are acting on their behalf.In the days
leading up to Eid al-Adha, one of the two major Muslim holidays, several
militias published videos showing members distributing sweets to
children and preparing aid packages. The videos showed both children and
adults praising the militias.In footage published by al-Mansi’s militia
from what it described as a “logistics center” for humanitarian aid,
products bearing Hebrew labels from Israeli companies could be seen,
including Elite-branded Nescafe and Materna baby formula — suggesting
the supplies originated in Israel.Yet there are also allegations that
the groups have been used by Israel to force civilians from their homes
in areas being taken over by the IDF, which has been ordered by
Netanyahu to expand its control to 70% of Gaza.According to reports, the
al-Shabab clan, the oldest and largest militia and today headed by
Dehini, is used by Israel to secure passage for Gazan civilians entering
from Egypt via the Rafah Crossing and transiting through IDF-controlled
territory into the part of the enclave controlled by Hamas.Milshtein
said Gazans who spoke to him after making the journey described harsh
treatment by militia members, including sexual harassment, theft and
beatings.Further damaging the Gazan public’s perception of the militias
has been an influence campaign by Hamas portraying the groups as
ineffective and destined to collapse sooner or later, Barak said.“Hamas
has Telegram channels where it claims to have infiltrated the militias
with agents and showcases militia members who supposedly repented and
abandoned the groups,” Barak told The Times of Israel.None of the
militia leaders currently operating in Gaza were previously well-known
or widely respected figures in Palestinian society. Yasser Abu Shabab,
who led the eponymous militia before being killed in an internal
dispute, was previously accused of criminal activity, including
smuggling and looting, and allegedly had past ties to the Islamic State
group.“It is completely clear that we took the bottom tier of
Palestinian society,” Milshtein alleged. “People who are criminals,
dubious figures, involved in terrorism against Israel — under the belief
that they could become an alternative to Hamas.”Militias from north to
southAl-Astal, whose militia operates east of Khan Younis, told The
Times of Israel that each group has its own home territory, but they
work together and regularly communicate with each other.“Relations
between us are good and there is ongoing contact,” he said by phone from
Gaza. “There is coordination on all needs, including with regard to the
media.”A review of Facebook pages maintained by the militias and their
commanders indeed shows that the groups frequently amplify each other’s
statements and activities.The militias have never publicly declared a
clear long-term objective, though they are all focused on fighting Hamas
and seeking to end its rule over Gaza.When asked by The Times of Israel
about the militias’ goals and the progress of the fight against Hamas,
al-Astal largely avoided the question, saying only that Hamas had
weakened and was now composed of “small groups operating on the
ground.”On May 21, al-Mansi posted on Facebook that “we will neither eat
nor rest until Gaza is liberated, area by area” from Hamas.On May 25,
his group, which operates mainly in northern Gaza, published footage on
Facebook showing several dozen masked gunmen gathered at Sudania Beach
in northwestern Gaza, declaring, “There are no Hamas members
here.”Sudania Beach lies on the Hamas-controlled side of the Yellow
Line, though the video appeared to be taken in an area near the Israeli
line of control.Other videos show al-Mansi, about whom little is known,
driving a jeep alongside armed men through areas filled with heavily
destroyed buildings and relatively empty streets. The commander “pledged
continued efforts to consolidate security, stability, protect citizens
and strengthen the rule of law,” the group wrote in one video showing
him touring an area seemingly devoid of citizens.Another militia
operating in northern Gaza is led by Rami Khalas, a member of a large,
well-known family who is reportedly affiliated with Hamas rival
Fatah.According to reports, members of the Khalas clan were among
several dozen people executed by Hamas in Gaza City shortly after the
ceasefire with Israel took effect in October.The group has become less
active on social media in recent months, though on May 5, Khalas called
on residents of Gaza City to come to humanitarian aid distribution
points run by the militia, suggesting the group is still operational.The
heads of some of the groups have also been linked to the Palestinian
Authority, the Fatah-dominated body ousted from Gaza by Hamas in a
bloody 2007 coup.According to reports, Shawqi Abu Nuseira, who runs the
Free Homeland Forces militia in the central Gaza Strip, was an officer
in the PA’s security forces before Hamas seized control.The group’s
social media posts suggest it operates between the Deir al-Balah area in
the central Strip and Khan Younis in the south of the enclave.Al-Astal
has said that he served in the PA security forces in Gaza, and was
imprisoned and sentenced to death after Hamas took over because of his
support for the PA.He previously told The Times of Israel that the
militia, consisting of several dozen armed men, was based in the village
of Qizan al-Najjar, south of Khan Younis, an area currently situated
near the Yellow Line and likely under IDF control.The most organized
group, al-Shabab which was led by al-Shabab before he was killed,
according to Israel, in a December clan feud, is now led by his deputy
Dehini.The militia, known as the Counter-Terrorism Apparatus or the
Popular Forces, is also thought to be the largest of the groups, with
reports estimating the group’s size at anywhere from several dozen to a
few hundred gunmen. In videos, Dehini is often seen alongside dozens of
armed fighters, who at times wear uniforms bearing the Palestinian
flag.The group operates east of Rafah and near the Rafah crossing.On May
26, Dehini published a video on his Facebook page showing several dozen
armed men patrolling in jeeps with a border fence visible in the
background. Weeks earlier, Dehini published footage showing himself and
several militia members in civilian clothes, tagging the location as the
Rafah Crossing. The post confirmed earlier Israeli reports that
Dehini’s group was participating in security arrangements on the Gaza
side of the crossing.On the ground, the militias occasionally engage in
clashes with Hamas operatives. The confrontations publicized so far have
taken place in areas on the Hamas-controlled side of the line and,
according to the militias, were mostly initiated by Hamas.On April 20,
al-Astal told The Times of Israel that while members of his militia were
distributing food to residents in Khan Younis, Hamas operatives
attacked them and killed one of the group’s members.He described a
similar incident on May 6, saying Hamas operatives attacked the militia
in Musa Square in Khan Younis while they were assisting civilians. In a
video filmed afterward, al-Astal claimed the militia members were
unharmed and had shot two Hamas operatives dead and seized their
weapons.At the same time, Hamas-affiliated media outlets claimed the
incident was a planned ambush carried out by Hamas against the militia,
during which “three Israeli agents” were killed — apparently referring
to militia members cooperating with Israel.At least some of the militias
are built around the network of powerful extended families that
continue to wield authority on a local level in parts of Gaza. Hamas,
which coordinates with many of the enclave’s clans, including those
linked to some of the militias working with Israel, has attempted to use
these ties to pressure militia members to disband, Barak said.Among
them, he noted, is that of al-Astal.Collaboration questions-Al-Astal
acknowledged that the militias operate in coordination with the IDF, but
declined to elaborate further.During a media tour organized by the
military last year, IDF combat officers operating in the Rafah area were
unable to comment on the anti-Hamas militias in their area, saying they
were only aware of their presence and location. Coordination between
the militias and Israel is reportedly handled by the Shin Bet security
agency.The IDF and Shin Bet declined to comment on the
matter.Hamas-affiliated media reports on May 14 suggested that the
militias were helping the IDF deal with civilians as the army expanded
its zone of control inside Gaza, taking over areas where Palestinian
civilians had been living under Hamas rule.One unusual activity
documented recently has been the militias’ involvement in evacuating
civilians, reportedly under IDF instructions.According to the reports,
militias cooperating with Israel had forced residents to evacuate areas
near Deir al-Balah, close to the Yellow Line, for unclear reasons.On the
same day, a video published by Abu Nuseira’s militia showed him
briefing armed men, alongside text blaming civilians’ suffering on
Hamas’s refusal to cede the enclave to transitional authorities as laid
out in the Trump plan.“We do not want to expel them, we are with them,”
Abu Nuseira tells the armed men in the video, referring to Gazan
civilians. “This is a message we are conveying from the Israeli side,
that people should evacuate the area.”One of the gunmen responds that
residents understand this, while the armed men chant: “Death to
Hamas.”Israel has not officially commented on the evacuations, and the
IDF declined to address the issue in response to questions from The
Times of Israel.Milshtein criticized the strategy of taking over more
territory, noting that it was pushing civilians to crowd into Hamas’s
shrinking area of control, rather than bringing more Gazans into the
expanding territory where the IDF and the militias hold sway.According
to Milshtein, Israel has pursued a strategy of working with anti-Hamas
groups in Gaza since early 2024, but the effort has been marked by
repeated failures.Initial attempts appear to have involved establishing
contact with the Durmush clan in an effort to explore whether it could
serve as a governing alternative to Hamas. Several senior members of the
clan were later executed, a development that only became public months
afterward through Arab media reports.In March 2024, the Saudi newspaper
Asharq Al-Awsat reported that efforts to enlist Gaza clans as an
alternative governing force had largely failed. According to the report,
many clans rejected proposals to take responsibility for securing
specific geographic areas of the Strip out of concern that doing so
would bring them into conflict with Hamas forces that remained active.In
June 2024, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to disclose the
project, telling Channel 14 that Israel had tried several months earlier
to empower clans that would replace Hamas rule, but that Hamas had
killed the clan members involved.Milshtein said the lack of transparency
over the project had precluded any official accounting of the use of
militias in Gaza, and stymied meaningful public debate over the
strategy.“No one stops and asks where all this nonsense is heading,” he
said. “Is it helping? Is it harmful? Should it be changed or canceled?
For two years there has been no review of this entire affair — not by
the Shin Bet, not by the IDF. There is no review, and when there is no
review, mistakes get repeated again and again and again.”
France
arrests 20 after banning rally against political executions in
Iran-Paris protest goes ahead despite the ban, which French foreign
ministry insists isn’t linked to FM’s call with his Iranian
counterpart-By Agencies 20 June 2026, 5:28 pm
French police
arrested around 20 people in Paris on Saturday as demonstrators gathered
for a protest against repression and executions in Iran, defying an
official ban.Several buses arrived at Place Vauban in central Paris
despite police having banned the rally over what they said was concerns
about potential clashes “in the current particularly tense national and
international context.”Hundreds of protesters gathered at the location,
an AFP correspondent saw.Police issued orders for the crowd to disperse
and a score of people were arrested, a police source told AFP.“They
arrested about 20 people for no reason,” Afchine Alavi, a member of the
National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), told AFP.“On the
protesters’ side, there is no violence. Police dispersed many people and
are preventing others from joining,” Alavi added.The NCRI is the
political arm of the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI, also known by its
Persian acronym MEK), which is designated a terrorist group by Iran.The
group has organized numerous protests in Paris without incident,
including in recent months during nationwide anti-government
demonstrations in Iran and the US-Israeli conflict with the Islamic
Republic.Some protesters carried signs reading “Neither shah nor
mullahs.”Alavi said police used pepper spray and that several protesters
were injured.Organizers filed an emergency motion to overturn the ban
but a Paris court upheld it on Saturday morning.The ban was ordered
Thursday evening hours after a call between France’s Foreign Minister
Jean-Noel Barrot and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi, during which
they discussed the latest developments to end the Iran war.France’s
foreign ministry rejected an allegation by the NCRI that the ban was
linked to the call.The demonstration — expected by organizers to draw up
to 100,000 people — aimed to raise awareness about a wave of executions
in Iran during the Middle East conflict.The protest was organized by
Iranian diaspora groups, as well as French and international NGOs.
World
Bank backs digital wallets as foundation for user-centric digital
identity-ID4D policy note argues wallets and verifiable credentials
should become core infrastructure for next-generation DPI-Jun 19, 2026,
12:45 pm EDT | Ayang Macdonald
A policy note published by the
World Bank within the framework of the Identification for Development
(ID4D) initiative has argued strongly for digital wallets and verifiable
credentials (VCs). It states that countries building digital public
infrastructure (DPI) must accelerate the move away from monolithic and
siloed systems where identity, data sharing, and payments are handled by
separate rigid platforms, toward a modular, user-centric and
standards-based architecture.Titled Digital Wallets: A New Paradigm, the
70-page publication acknowledges that such shift is already happening,
although at a slow pace, with the growing emergence of digital wallets
and VCs as a modern and user-centric approach to digital
identification.These systems, per the publication, are a shift away from
centralized data systems toward decentralized architecture where
individuals can securely store and control their own digital
proofs.Several executives of digital ID firms made the case for this
shift to a decentralized digital ID and PPP models in one panel during
the ID4Africa AGM in Abidjan in May. One of the panelists was the
Co-founder and Chairman of Tech5 which has been involved, alongside
Visa, in wallet projects in Ethiopia, Djibouti, Honduras, and Papua New
Guinea. Other countries like Benin and Morocco are also working on
digital ID wallet projects as part of their efforts to expand and
simplify access to digital ID.According to the policy note, wallets are a
sort of convergence point of trust where digital identity, payments, or
electronic signatures are no longer separate silos, but a single and
interoperable platform that enables seamless and privacy-preserving
transactions.It explains that the advantages of this infrastructure
change are manifold. For governments, it reduces the burden of managing
massive centralized databases while for citizens, it means data
sovereignty which is the ability to prove who they are or what they are
eligible for without having to reveal too much personal information.The
note, which was released alongside a digital wallets explainer
publication, insists that digital ID user-centricity is not just a
feature, but an architectural necessity because beyond the value-added
aspect of selective disclosure, it also facilities interoperability
which means it can be used across different services and even
borders.For countries to advance in this direction, the policy note
suggests a roadmap which they can follow. One of the recommendations is
the adoption of open standards such as W3C Verifiable Credentials to
ensure interoperability across borders and sectors, and make sure to
anchor the ecosystem around high-value needs like social benefits
eligibility (G2P payments) such as the case with MOSIP’s Inji wallet,
student credentials like Kenya is planning, or business licenses.The
note also urges nations to clearly define the roles and responsibilities
of different actors and distinguish between credential issuers, wallet
providers, and verifiers, while they must also make sure they invest in
inclusive design, ensuring that those without smartphones or digital
skills are not left behind in the transition to a wallet-based
economy.The policy note serves as a conceptual foundation for
policymakers and urges them to view wallets not as a standalone product,
but as a piece of critical infrastructure which must be developed.
China
seeks feedback on state-backed decentralized digital identity
framework-Proposal adopts key decentralized identity concepts while
anchoring trust in government-authorized identity providers-Jun 19,
2026, 11:56 am EDT | Joel R. McConvey
China’s Cyberspace
Administration has published a draft of “Regulations on Promoting the
Interoperability and Interrecognition of Distributed Digital Identity
Applications” for public comment. As translated by Google, the document
states that the goal is to “promote the innovative development and
interoperability of distributed digital identities, establish and
improve the public service system for distributed digital identities,
and support the construction of the national blockchain network’s basic
common service capabilities.”“Distributed digital identities” are what
the Chinese government calls decentralized identity models – or,
alternately, “a new type of digital identity based on distributed
technologies such as blockchain, which supports users in managing their
own identity information.” The concepts described align with other
decentralized ID models based on distributed ledger
technology.Distributed digital identity, the draft says, “consists of an
identifier, a key, a verifiable credential, and a verifiable claim, and
can be used in scenarios such as digital account management, login
authentication and data authorization.” Architecturally, it is to be
built on China’s national blockchain network, “operated by an authorized
unit of the State Internet Information Office, in cooperation with
authoritative identity authentication institutions, distributed digital
identity application service institutions, verifiable credential issuing
institutions, and verifiable credential application
institutions.”“Authoritative identity authentication authorities provide
authentication services for the registration of distributed digital
identities through identity chains.” Registered users will be assigned a
dia distributed digital identity identifier – “a string that conforms
to specific encoding rules and has the characteristics of uniqueness,
permanence, and resolvability” – and a real-name identity
certificate.China defines an “authoritative identity authentication
authority as “an authoritative agency that verifies and reliably
authenticates the identity information of individuals, government
agencies, public institutions, legal persons and other organizations,
industrial equipment and goods in accordance with legal procedures and
industry standards, so as to ensure the consistency between digital
identity and actual identity.” In other words, certified third party
digital identity providers.Decentralized model raises sensitive
political questions-In pursuing decentralized digital ID, China is
experimenting with a model that would seem to be philosophically at odds
with its political system, which prizes surveillance and centralized
control. While the system as described makes use of digital credentials
and selective disclosure for minimizing shared data – but includes no
mention of privacy, ostensibly the motivating factor for selective
disclosure models. It encourages interoperability, but gives no
indication how interoperable systems might navigate concerns about
surveillance and national security.A general assessment of the proposal
suggests China is hoping to build a digital identity system in keeping
with its adaptive model – decentralized digital identity, according to
government rules.In states that have maintained restrictive control over
communications technology, there are serious questions to be asked by
the digital identity community about what, exactly, digital identity
systems are designed to achieve. Trust is already at a premium, and any
visible use of digital identity to tighten social control will only
erode it further.A decentralized system based on the principle of data
sovereignty is arguably at odds with how China’s government operates.
Mandated digital identity in the Xinjiang region, for instance, would
surely be seen as an expansion of the state’s toolkit for oppressing the
Uyghur minority.Consider, if you will, the likelihood that this very
article will be blocked by state censors charged with cracking down on
online criticism of its digital ID plan.Regardless, the public is
invited to provide feedback on the government’s draft until July 18,
2026.
Strategic planning for digital ID’s AI, quantum computing resilience ramps up-Jun 19, 2026, 8:10 pm EDT | Chris Burt
Fears
that AI-powered fraud and quantum computing could threaten the
encryption and authentication practices that have long formed the
foundation of digital trust are prompting governments and businesses
alike to think more about identity systems in terms of long-term
resilience. If digital ID is to function as digital public
infrastructure, then tools like the EU Digital Identity Wallet will need
to be adaptable to protect that foundation.PYMNTS draws a line from
strategic planning within the crypto industry to protect against quantum
computing to the trend of continuous verification in the digital
identity industry. The digital trust model of the connected economy
relies on encryption and authentication techniques that quantum
computing and AI could render obsolete.Quantum computing is forecast to
arrive anywhere from the day after tomorrow to (more likely) somewhere
in the range of 2035 to 2040. If digital identity is to function as
critical infrastructure, governments must ensure it remains trustworthy
in a post-quantum world. In the meanwhile, “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later”
attacks could occur at any time.Thales argues that EUDI Wallets have a
major role in Europe’s cyber-resilient future, between their alignment
of payment and identity, and authentication using biometric passkeys.
Digital wallets protect the personal information included on ID cards
through tokenization, which is one of the ways payments and digital
identity are converging in this hopefully more future-proof credential
ecosystem.A separate “insights” article from Thales makes the case that
for digital ID cards, like those expected to be used to onboard many or
most EUDI Wallet users, future cyber resilience means implementing post
quantum cryptography. The fears around AI-powered spoofing are behind
the inclusion of conformance testing in eIDAS.Thales urges a
forward-looking approach and early preparation.
Hawaii ID issue
shows interoperability matters as digital IDs scale-Travel disruption
underscores the challenge of keeping issuers, scanners and verification
systems synchronized at scale-Jun 15, 2026, 4:59 pm EDT | Albert Roux By
Albert Roux, EVP Product for Microblink
Travelers at Hawaii
airports recently experienced delays because valid state-issued IDs
could not be reliably scanned. Frustrated passengers were pulled aside
for additional screening. Security lines slowed, and airport staff were
forced to rely on manual ID verification even though travelers were
carrying legitimate and acceptable forms of scannable
identification.Hawaii’s glitch attracted national attention. Other
states have encountered challenges related to identity verification
infrastructure, too. Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire reported
instances in which some REAL ID-compliant credentials experienced
barcode-scanning issues, creating confusion for travelers and adding
more work for TSA personnel.These incidents raise an important question:
How can a valid REAL ID encounter verification problems? The answer
lies in the complexity of the identity ecosystem itself.REAL ID helped
establish common standards for identity credentials, but the ID holder’s
experience depends on how well issuing authorities, scanners, software
platforms, verification workflows, and airport operations are
synchronized. When one part of that ecosystem falls out of sync,
friction in accurate, fast validation becomes apparent quickly.As
digital identity adoption accelerates, that reality deserves greater
attention.REAL ID standardized credentials. It did not standardize the
ecosystem-Today, every U.S. state issues REAL ID-compliant credentials.
From a policy perspective, that represents a major achievement. Identity
verification, however, extends well beyond credential issuance.Every
driver’s license must be recognized by thousands of scanners, kiosks,
airport systems, government platforms, and commercial verification
solutions operating nationwide. And systems must keep up with changes,
such as updated credential designs and newly added security features. As
mobile drivers’ licenses from across the U.S. enter the ecosystem, it’s
even more difficult for verification systems to keep pace with those
changes.While standards exist for machine-readable elements such as
PDF417 barcodes, implementation details differ among issuing
authorities. Even relatively small formatting differences or barcode
production inconsistencies can create challenges in environments like
airport screenings that demand near-perfect reliability. An ID that
scans successfully in one location may face problems elsewhere if
systems have not been updated to recognize evolving formats.Keeping a
fragmented identity ecosystem aligned is becoming one of the industry’s
most important responsibilities.The traveler only sees the weakest
link-Identity verification systems are routinely evaluated under
controlled conditions. Airports are anything but controlled.Checkpoints
process thousands of travelers every day under tight time constraints
and constant operational pressure. Travelers present worn documents,
damaged cards, partially obscured barcodes, and credentials issued by
jurisdictions across the country. Few travelers think about document
issuers, scanner vendors, or verification software. They simply want and
expect the process to work.When it does not, the impact reaches beyond a
delayed traveler. Additional manual reviews slow down checkpoint
operations and increase staffing demands. Delays at security lines
negatively affect the broader travel experience.Those disruptions carry
real economic consequences. According to research from the U.S. Travel
Association, air travelers avoid an average of 2 trips per year due to
travel hassles, resulting in an estimated 27 million trips avoided and
$71 billion in lost economic activity.Identity verification is only one
piece of that equation, but it illustrates how quickly costly friction
can scale when systems are not working together.ID security and
interoperability are now closely connected-For decades, identity
verification operated in a relatively stable environment. Credential
formats changed infrequently, security features evolved slowly, and
verification systems could remain effective for years without major
changes or updates.Today, states continue to modernize driver’s
licenses, and mobile driver’s licenses are becoming widespread. Digital
identity initiatives are expanding worldwide. At the same time,
generative AI has lowered the barrier to creating convincing fake
credentials, giving fraudsters new tools to manipulate identity
information and challenge verification systems that they didn’t have
just a few years ago.As both credentials and threats evolve more
rapidly, adaptability has become a critical requirement. Governments
continue to roll out new security features to stay ahead of emerging
fraud, while verification providers must ensure that legitimate
credentials are recognized quickly and reliably.Organizations evaluating
identity infrastructure should look beyond customary measures,
including accuracy and throughput. Long-term performance depends on the
ability to support new document formats and distribute updates
successfully across large deployments, while responding quickly to
developing threats.
The road to digital identity requires closer
collaboration-The lessons from Hawaii extend well beyond a REAL ID
scanning issue.The industry is entering a period where physical IDs,
mobile driver’s licenses, digital credentials, and future identity
technologies will coexist. Travelers will move between physical and
digital environments and expect verification systems to work seamlessly
across both.Achieving that vision necessitates closer cooperation
between governments, issuing authorities, transportation agencies,
scanner vendors, and identity verification providers.Credential rollouts
cannot occur in isolation. Testing must begin earlier. Update cycles
need to move faster. Systems should be designed with the expectation
that credentials will continue evolving. It takes a team to ensure that
valid credentials are consistently recognized, regardless of where they
are issued or presented.A small disruption contains a much larger
lesson-A record-setting 904 million travelers went through a TSA
checkpoint last year and are predicted to surpass one billion this year.
At that scale, even minor verification disruptions might generate
meaningful operational and economic consequences.While the Hawaii
scanning issue may ultimately be remembered as a relatively small event,
it’s worth understanding what the experience revealed about the larger
identity ecosystem. Credential issuance, verification technology, update
cycles, and operational preparedness are growing more interconnected.
As digital identity adoption expands, progress will depend on systems
that can evolve strategically alongside changing credentials and arising
threats while adequately meeting user expectations.REAL ID established a
foundation for standardized credentials. The next phase of the
industry’s work centers on interoperability and the ability to adapt as
identity continues to evolve.About the author-Albert Roux, EVP Product
for Microblink, leads the strategic development and execution of the
organization’s identity-focused product initiatives, ensuring the
company continues to deliver high-quality, secure solutions to its
global clients. He oversees Microblink’s product team, leveraging over
20 years of experience at companies like Microsoft, Criteo, Bureau, and
Onfido to build systems and teams that effectively tackle fraud across
various industries. A renowned speaker and trainer, Albert previously
educated international law enforcement agencies on advanced fraud
detection techniques. Growing up, Albert wanted to be a park ranger,
safeguarding the wilderness. Now, he protects our digital landscapes,
ensuring they remain safe havens from the threats of fraudsters.
Clearview
AI contract links Army special forces to wider intelligence
ecosystem-Procurement trail links facial recognition, commercial data,
entity resolution and AI analytics inside a growing defense intelligence
ecosystem-Jun 17, 2026, 6:32 pm EDT | Anthony Kimery
A small
U.S. Army special forces purchase of Clearview AI facial recognition
licenses has exposed a broader defense intelligence pipeline connecting
biometric search, commercial data, AI-enabled entity resolution, former
U.S. intelligence personnel, and a company that is building a separate
Pentagon platform for operational data fusion.Biometric Update reported
in February on the underlying Army special forces Clearview solicitation
and renewal. Independent journalist Jack Poulson later reported that
Octaris Technologies served as the intermediary for the March purchase,
identifying the Virginia Beach, Virginia company as the vendor on the
award.Separately, Biometric Update reported in January that USSOCOM was
laying the groundwork for a broader expansion of battlefield identity
intelligence and exploitation capabilities.The USSOCOM request for
information sought industry input on facial recognition, voice
identification, tactical site exploitation tools, rapid DNA analysis,
and AI and machine-learning analytics, underscoring that the Clearview
purchase sits within a larger special operations push toward
identity-driven intelligence.Procurement records [here and here]
identify Octaris as the vendor on a March award for Clearview AI service
for the 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne), the Fort Bragg-based
Army special operations headquarters that includes the Army’s various
special forces groups.The 1st Special Forces Command is subordinate to
the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, the largest component of
USSOCOM.The award summary lists a total potential contract value of
$339,415. The summary identified $78,750 as the March 16 purchase order
amount for five Clearview AI licenses, which appears to correspond to
the base-year obligation rather than a separate transaction.The base
period runs from March 20, 2026, to March 19, 2027, with three one-year
option periods that could extend the subscription through March 19,
2030.A February memorandum for the record describes the requirement as a
follow-on action, funded with FY 2026 Regular Army Operation and
Maintenance money and structured as a fixed-price brand-name buy.The
justification is unusually direct about why the command wanted Clearview
and not a competing facial recognition tool.“Without Clearview AI, DoD
cannot rapidly analyze vast amounts of facial data, which makes it
challenging to identify high-value targets with the required rate of
accuracy needed for 1st Special Forces Group,” the Army memorandum
states.The documents identify the requiring activity as the 1st Special
Forces Command (Airborne), but the justification document refers to the
1st Special Forces Group.The distinction matters.1st Special Forces
Command is the Fort Bragg-based headquarters that includes Special
Forces, civil affairs, psychological operations, and support units. The
1st Special Forces Group is an Indo-Pacific-focused subordinate unit.The
documents do not make clear whether the reference to 1st Special Forces
Group was a drafting error or an indication of the intended operational
customer.If the reference to 1st Special Forces Group reflects the
intended operational customer, the Indo-Pacific context points toward a
more specific use case than routine facial recognition.In that theater,
the value of Clearview would likely lie in identity intelligence against
gray-zone actors, including China-linked maritime, commercial, militia,
intelligence, logistics, or influence networks whose usefulness depends
on ambiguity.Clearview would give analysts and operators a way to take a
face from an encounter, video, phone, social post, partner lead, port
image, or maritime incident and test whether that person has a wider
public footprint.In an area of operations where the operational problem
is often attribution rather than battlefield identification, that
capability could help connect identity, affiliation, and pattern-of-life
information to people operating below the threshold of open
conflict.Either way, the procurement places Clearview AI inside the
intelligence support architecture of Army special operations.The
Clearview justification document says its facial recognition content is
“not readily available from any other AI source,” and asserts that the
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) had confirmed
Clearview’s “superior accuracy and reliability” with a 99.85 percent
accuracy rating.That language should be read carefully. The 99.85
percent figure appears to come from Clearview’s own November 2021 press
release, which said NIST testing showed Clearview’s algorithm correctly
matched mugshot photos at 99.85 percent in a 12-million-photo sample.The
same Clearview release used the phrase “confirmed the superior accuracy
and reliability,” which strongly suggests the Army copied or
paraphrased Clearview’s characterization rather than NIST’s own neutral
language.NIST testing should not be read as a government endorsement of
Clearview’s deployed platform.The procurement file also says market
research identified only two other sources in use, FaceCheck.ID and
PimEyes, but the Army concluded that neither provides the accuracy
Clearview does and that only Clearview users can access the system.The
Army specification lists the scope of collection as 50 billion images.
Clearview’s current public marketing says its law enforcement database
contains more than 70 billion images, which the company describes as
sourced from public web sources including news media, mugshot websites,
public social media, and other open sources.The new Army award is
notable not only because Special Forces is continuing to use Clearview,
but because the sale went through Octaris rather than directly through
Clearview.Octaris is a young company, founded in 2024, but its public
profile is built around precisely the type of intelligence work that the
Clearview procurement supports.The company describes itself as a
commercial all-source analysis firm that turns complex information into
mission-focused intelligence. Its website says it uses proprietary data
holdings, publicly available information, commercially available
information, and advanced analytical tools to help decision-makers act
faster.Octaris is led by founder Christopher J. Blake, a Navy veteran
and former intelligence officer with extensive special operations
experience who worked in the private technology and intelligence sector,
including with Dataminr’s public sector business.Octaris’s investor and
partner network places the Clearview transaction inside a broader
ecosystem of defense technology, intelligence tradecraft, commercial
data, and pattern-of-life analysis.Leonid Capital Partners, Octaris’s
first institutional investor, describes Octaris as a veteran-founded
defense technology company building SOFOS, an AI-powered system for
national security users that unifies fragmented data and automates
intelligence workflows. It provides all-source analysis across public,
commercial, and proprietary datasets.In August 2025, Octaris received a
roughly $1.2 million Phase II Small Business Innovation Research award
for SOFOS, described in public award records as an AI-enabled real-time
environment understanding and entity-resolution system for the
Department of Defense.The award runs from August 28, 2025, to February
26, 2027.The SBIR abstract says Octaris and its development partner,
Adelphi Data, are building SOFOS for the Pentagon’s Chief Digital and
Artificial Intelligence Office.Although the contract was routed through
an Air Force Life Cycle Management Center contracting office at
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the stated customer was CDAO, not a
local Wright-Patterson base-support function.CDAO’s mission is
departmentwide AI adoption, data fusion, analytic tools, and
decision-support capabilities.The SBIR abstract says SOFOS uses unique
identifiers and attributes from publicly available and commercially
available data to identify patterns, trends, associations, activities,
and indications involving entities of interest to the Department of
Defense.In plain terms, SOFOS appears designed to help analysts connect
fragmented data about people, places, organizations, activities, and
locations into a more coherent picture of an operating environment.That
is where the Clearview purchase and the SOFOS contract begin to converge
conceptually, even though the procurement records do not show that the
two systems are formally integrated.Clearview gives a user the ability
to search a face against a massive database of scraped public images.
SOFOS, by contrast, is described as a broader entity-resolution and
operating environment platform. It is meant to connect people, places,
organizations, identifiers, activities, locations, and other attributes
across disparate public and commercially available datasets.For CDAO,
the attraction is obvious. CDAO is not merely a contracting office for
AI tools. It is the Defense Department office responsible for
accelerating AI adoption, data integration, analytic modernization, and
decision support capabilities across the department.A platform like
SOFOS would allow CDAO to test how AI can fuse commercial data,
open-source intelligence, and other publicly available information into a
usable analytic layer for military planners, intelligence analysts, and
operational commands.In practical terms, SOFOS could be used to map a
foreign operating environment, identify patterns in adversary activity,
connect fragmented identifiers across datasets, surface relationships
between people and organizations, analyze movement or behavioral
patterns, and help analysts understand how entities relate to a
location, function, network, or desired military end state.That does not
mean SOFOS is a targeting system by itself. Nor do the available
records show that Clearview’s facial recognition database has been
plugged into SOFOS. But the logic of the two procurements is closely
aligned.Clearview helps identify a person from a face. SOFOS is designed
to connect identifiers and attributes once a person, place,
organization, or activity becomes an entity of interest.Together, they
illustrate the direction of travel inside parts of the defense
intelligence ecosystem: biometric search, commercial data, open-source
intelligence, and AI-enabled entity resolution are becoming parts of the
same operational architecture.Investor materials say SOFOS is already
live in beta with users across multiple Defense Department and
Intelligence Community organizations, but no additional public contract
awards explicitly for SOFOS were found.Adelphi, Octaris’s SOFOS partner,
adds another layer. The McLean, Virginia-based company publicly
describes itself as built by a team with deep experience across national
security, intelligence operations, and large-scale data
infrastructure.Its chief executive, Kartik Chopra, has publicly
disclosed past work as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Intelligence
Community. The company also lists Ralph F. Goff as an advisor. Goff
served as CIA Chief of Station in six countries, Chief of Operations for
Europe and Eurasia, and Chief of the agency’s National Resources
Division.The National Resources Division is the CIA’s U.S.-based human
intelligence component inside the Directorate of Operations. Its mission
is foreign intelligence collection conducted from inside the United
States.Adelphi’s ties also extend into the commercial data and
advertising technology world. Travis May, a former LiveRamp chief
executive and founder of Datavant, is publicly listed as a co-founder
and board member of Adelphi.LiveRamp was previously reported to have
sold its cellphone location-tracking business to Cuebiq, another company
in the location intelligence ecosystem.The result is a procurement
trail that connects Clearview AI’s facial recognition database, Army
Special Forces targeting requirements, a special operations-linked
private intelligence firm, a Pentagon AI and entity-resolution platform,
former U.S. intelligence personnel, and commercial data
infrastructure.To be clear, there is no indication in the procurement
documents that any of the awards involves domestic law enforcement use
or bulk surveillance of Americans.But that absence does not eliminate
the broader concern.Civil liberties advocates have warned that the
Pentagon’s expanding use of commercial AI, biometric search, and
data-fusion tools raises unresolved questions about how military AI
systems could be used or repurposed, especially after controversy over
the Pentagon seeking broad access to commercial AI services.The concern
is not theoretical. The Army has its own history of domestic
surveillance abuses.During the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, the U.S. Army
Intelligence and Security Command and 902d Military Intelligence Group
ran the CONUS Intelligence program, which used roughly 1,500 agents to
monitor protest groups and political activity inside the U.S.Ultimately,
the names of nearly 20,000 Americans were entered into computers,
dossiers, and files.The program became part of the broader
post-Watergate reckoning over intelligence abuses that led to
investigations and modern congressional intelligence oversight by the
Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to
Intelligence Activities.That history is why civil liberties advocates
tend to view any new military access to AI-enabled surveillance and
data-fusion tools with legitimate suspicion.
Partnerships,
validation expand options for device-bound authentication-Launch from
Hirsch and Unibeam, Yubico validation and Intercede-Swissbit
integration-Jun 19, 2026, 7:53 pm EDT | Chris Burt
Security and
access control company Hirsch has launched a SIM-based multi-factor
authentication solution powered by technology from SIM authentication
startup Unibeam.The new SecureSIM combines the device factor with
identity data bound to secure SIM hardware for enterprise-grade
authentication, according to the partners’ announcement. The companies
say it avoids common MFA weaknesses like OTP interception, the costs and
operational burden of additional physical tokens and complex
integration or user training.Hirsch also sells biometric authentication
devices, and adds SecureSIM to an MFA portfolio that also includes
SecureKey FIDO hardware keys and SecurePass cards.Unibeam raised $6
million in seed funding last year to develop its cryptographic
authentication technology.Yubico FIPS validation, Intercede-Swissbit
tie-up expand.Yubico has announced that NIST has granted its YubiHSM 2
FIPS hardware security keys FIPS 140-3 validation through the
cryptographic module validation program. The CMVP certificate specifies
that the cryptographic module meets Security Level 3.The company’s
YubiKey 5 FIPS Series became the only authenticator authorized for PKI
credentials from the U.S. Department of Defense and FIDO2 passkeys when
it was validated for FIPS in May.Intercede and Swissbit have expanded
their partnership to active development of an end-to-end FIDO2 Passkey
that can implement post-quantum cryptography (PQC). The Intercede MyID
authentication product suite will be integrated with Swissbit’s Passkey
hardware tokens.“A passkey is only as trustworthy as the system that
issued it and the cryptography underneath it,” comments Swissbit Head of
Authentication Alexander Summmerer in the announcement. “Doing this end
to end with Intercede means customers get one quantum-safe chain, not a
set of parts they have to stitch together themselves.”Swissbit has been
integrating its physical security keys with technology from partners
like NXP for physical access control and HID for unified enterprise
access control.
The Red Heifer and the Third Temple in End-Time Prophecy.
“The
Lord said to Moses and Aaron: “This is a requirement of the law that
the Lord has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer
without defect or blemish and that has never been under a yoke. … This
will be a lasting ordinance both for the Israelites and for the aliens
living among them.” (Numbers 19:1–2, 10)-Western Wall-Dome of the
Rock-Temple Mount-The Dome of the Rock stands defiantly on the Temple
Mount where the Holy Temple once stood. The Second Temple was destroyed
by the Romans in AD 70 after the Jewish People fought to keep the
Temple pure from Romanmore...Throughout almost 1,900 years of exile, the
Jewish people yearned to return to Israel, build the Third Temple in
Jerusalem and restore the Temple service.Three times a day, observant
Jews pray, “May the Holy Temple be rebuilt speedily and in our
day.”Although Jewish people have always lived in the Holy Land, after
the Holocaust the Jews began returning to Israel en masse. In 1948, the
Jewish nation was prophetically reborn (Isaiah 66:7–8) as the State of
Israel, and ever since Jews have been streaming back to the Land from
all four corners of the earth.Since 1967, there has been a movement in
Israel to rebuild the Holy Temple; however, the main obstacle is that
the Temple Mount is currently occupied by the Dome of the
Rock.Lubavitcher-Jews-Shabbat-Tefillin-Chabad-Lubavitch Jewish men help a
secular Jewish man put on tefillin for prayers at a table set aside for
that purpose in Jerusalem. Tefillin are the result of a literal
interpretation of Deuteronomy 6:8 and other verses like it: “Tie
themmore...Just as the regathering of the Jewish People is fulfillment
of Bible prophecy, so too is the building of the Third Holy Temple.“He
will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he
will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of
the earth.” (Isaiah 11:12; see also Jeremiah 23:3, 8; Ezekiel 28:25;
Ezekiel 11:17; Zechariah 10:6–12; Psalm 147:2)“‘The glory of this
present [acharon—last] house will be greater than the glory of the
former house,’ says the LORD [YHVH] Almighty. ‘And in this place I will
grant peace,’ declares the LORD [YHVH] Almighty.” (Haggai 2:9) Today,
many of the preparations for the Third Temple have already been
completed, including the sacred worship vessels and priestly garments to
be worn by the Levites in Temple services.As well, over 500 young
Jewish men, descended from the tribe of Levi, have been trained as
Temple Priests to fulfill their duties of worship and sacrifice in the
Temple.Temple-Holy City-Jerusalem-A depiction of the Temple in the Holy
City of Jerusalem.But the Temple service can’t begin without the parah
adumah (red heifer).What does a cow have to do with the rebuilding of
the Holy Temple? How could a simple animal play a vital role in the
success or failure of such a monumental event? God’s word states that
only the red heifer can restore the Biblical purity needed to rebuild
the Temple.“Then Eleazar the priest is to take some of its [red heifer]
blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the
Tent of Meeting.” (Numbers 19:4) An unblemished, pure red heifer is the
key ingredient to Temple worship (Numbers 19:1–2, 10).red
heifer-young-female cow-A potential red heifer-The Ashes of the Red
Heifer and Ritual Purity-“A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes
of the heifer and put them in a ceremonially clean place outside the
camp. They are to be kept by the Israelite community for use in the
water of cleansing; it is for purification from sin.” (Numbers
19:9)According to The Temple Institute, the organization dedicated to
preparing for the construction of the Third Temple in Jerusalem, these
cleansing waters are necessary to ritually purify the Temple Mount area,
the sacred vessels, and the entire Levitical priesthood that are all
being prepared for service today.The waters of sanctification were also
sprinkled onto all those who were impure, and many were first purified
in this process before entering the courts of the Temple.“‘You must keep
the Israelites separate from things that make them unclean, so they
will not die in their uncleanness for defiling my dwelling place, which
is among them.'” (Leviticus 15:31) Jewish-Mourners-Heifer-Jewish
mourners: Any contact with death, even stepping into a graveyard,
causes defilement. The Bible gives butmore...Many conditions may cause
ritual impurity or defilement, but one of the most severe comes through
exposure to death. Defilement from contact with death is called tumas
meis. This state of uncleanness lasted seven days and prevented a
person from participating in the community or Temple worship.Although
various methods may be employed to cleanse a person from other forms of
defilement, such as ritual water immersion (mikvah), the ashes of the
red heifer is the only remedy for the defilement that results from
contact with a corpse.Although some Jews and Christians think that the
red heifer is something from the past, never to be seen again, Ezekiel,
who prophecies about the rebuilt Third Temple, also mentions these
waters of purification in conjunction with the regathering of Israel,
linking the red heifer to the end times and the coming Messianic Era:For
I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the
countries and bring you back to your own land.I will sprinkle clean
water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your
impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put
a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and
give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:24–26; see also Daniel 12:10;
Isaiah 1:18) Jerusalem-Siloam-Siloach-Children-Pool-Children play in the
Pool of Siloam (Siloach): The Pool of Siloam, which was fed by the
Spring of Gihon, is thought to be the source for the running water
(mayim chayim) mixed with the ashes of the red heifer. Children that
weremore...The Mystery of the Red Heifer-The rabbis consider the red
heifer one of the greatest mysteries of the Torah. Even they wonder how
it’s possible that the ashes of the sacrificial animal can purify from
sin and defilement.Furthermore, in an apparent paradox, these same ashes
that purified also made anyone involved in the red heifer
preparations—from the person who gathered the ashes to the person who
sprinkled the water—unclean until evening.The commandment regarding the
red heifer is such a mystery that the rabbis place it in the category of
chukkim—divine decrees that cannot be understood by our limited human
understanding. Kosher and dietary laws also fit into this category.Some
Jewish sages believe the ordinance of the red heifer to be connected to
the sin of the golden calf.The red heifer is believed to serve in some
way as atonement for the terrible consequences of the Israelites
worshiping the golden calf when they were brought out of
Egypt.Ultimately, however, understanding the reasons behind the red
heifer and the mechanism of this purification process is beyond our
intellectual capacity.Nevertheless, there are those Orthodox Jews who
are willing to humble themselves and be obedient in performing it
because they love and fear God.“Then he took the Book of the Covenant
and read it to the people. They responded, ‘We will do everything the
LORD [YHVH] has said; we will obey.’” (Exodus 24:7)
Street-Jerusalem-people-Orthodox Jews on a street in Jerusalem-The Third
Temple: Finding the Red Heifer-In order for a cow to qualify as a red
heifer for this holy purpose of purification, it must meet the following
requirements, as outlined in Numbers 19, and also in the writings of
the oral tradition of the Talmud:
1. The red heifer must be
absolutely perfect in its redness. Even two hairs of any other color
will disqualify it. Even its hooves must be red.
2. It was to be three or four years old. Although older animals could be used, younger could not.
3. It must be free of any kind of internal or external defect or blemish.
4. It must not have been used for any type of physical labor and never have been placed under a yoke – not even once!
Only
an animal that meets all these requirements may be used to provide the
ashes of the purification process in fulfillment of the commandment.The
City of David with the Kidron Valley and the Mount of Olives in the
background.The animal was not technically a sacrifice, since it was not
slaughtered and burned in Temple; rather, it was slaughtered on the
Mount of Olives, outside the camp (Numbers 19:3).The Temple Institute,
which has already prepared the sacred Temple vessels, has in the past
identified two possible red heifer candidates—one in 1997 and then again
in 2002. Although both were initially thought to be kosher, they were
later found to be unsuitable.Even Christian Zionist ranchers in Texas
have tried to produce a red heifer that they hoped could be transported
to Israel.Still, efforts to produce the Parah Adumah are ongoing, and
rumors abound that this rare red heifer does exist today.But rare is the
operative word. Such a perfect creature is so elusive that its
ceremonial burning has seldom happened in all of Jewish history.Woman
praying at the Western (Wailing) Wall in Jerusalem.The Mishnah, which is
an authoritative, written embodiment of Jewish oral tradition, teaches
that only nine red heifers were sacrificed from the time of Tabernacle
worship until the Second Temple was destroyed in 70 AD on Tisha B’Av
[begins on the evening July 28, this year].The Jewish sage Maimonides
believed that the tenth animal would only be found and sacrificed when
King Messiah was ready to appear.And this is one reason why many Jews
and Christians wait in anticipation for the discovery of that perfect,
unblemished red heifer capable of inaugurating the service of the Third
Temple, which the Bible seems to indicate will play a central role in
the spiritual life of all mankind.“Their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of
prayer for all nations.” (Isaiah 56:7)The Jewish sages believe that
when the Messiah comes, He will stand on top of the roof of the Temple
and proclaim, “Humble Ones! The time of your redemption has arrived!
(The Temple Institute)”Isaiah 53- Great Isaiah-Scroll-Isaiah 53: The
Great Isaiah Scroll, which was found in a cave at Qumran dates to the
2nd century BC. The scroll comprises 17 sheetsmore...Yeshua and the Red
Heifer-Despite the willingness of many Jewish people to rebuild the
Temple and reinstitute the Temple service, including the slaughter of
the red heifer, the Jewish people have been left without a Temple in
Jerusalem to perform the animal blood sacrifices that make atonement for
sin. Because of this, blood atonement is no longer a focal point in
Judaism.The focus has been put on doing charity, good deeds, and prayer
for about 1942 years! That’s a long time! And that’s why the concept
of blood atonement is far from the Jewish People.This is one of the
reasons why it’s difficult for Jewish people to connect the Messianic
Prophecy of Isaiah 53 and the concept of the blood atonement for the
forgiveness of sin with Messiah Yeshua’s eath on the execution stake.Yet
it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though
the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, … he poured out his life
unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the
sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah
53:10, 12)Charity Box-Sacrifice-Street-Charity boxes on a Jerusalem
street: Since the destruction of the Temple, many Jewish people have
believed that the Temple sacrifice that brought atonement for sin was
replaced by charity, good deeds and prayer.The red heifer itself
prophetically points to Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah and His death on the
execution stake. He who was perfect, unblemished and sinless took upon
Himself the sins of the world so that we could become the righteousness
of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).Just as the red heifer was slaughtered
outside the camp, so was Yeshua slaughtered outside the City of
Jerusalem (Hebrews 13:12).The Book of Hebrews confirms that it’s through
the blood of Yeshua the Messiah that we may be purified from all of our
sins.The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled
on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are
outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Messiah, who
through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse
our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the
living God! (Hebrews 9:14)
DISEASES-ANIMAL TO HUMAN ( 500 million Dead )
REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8
And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that
sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given
unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 billion) of (8 billion)
to kill with sword,(WEAPONS)(500 million) and with hunger,(FAMINE)(500
million) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES)(500 million) and with the
beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE)(500 million).
DRUG PUSHERS AND ADDICTS
1 PET 5:8
8
Be sober,(NOT DRUGED UP OR ALCOHOLICED) be vigilant; because your
adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he
may devour:
REVELATION 18:23
23 And the light of a candle
shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and
of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants
were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries (DRUGS) were all
nations deceived.
REVELATION 9:21
21 Neither repented they of
their murders,(KILLING) nor of their sorceries (DRUG ADDICTS AND DRUG
PUSHERS), nor of their fornication,(SEX OUTSIDE MARRIAGE OR PROSTITUTION
FOR MONEY) nor of their thefts.(STEALING)
OZONE DEPLETION JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH DUE TO SIN
ISAIAH 30:26-27
26
Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and
the light of the sun shall be sevenfold,(7X OR 7-DEGREES HOTTER) as the
light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of
his people,(ISRAEL) and healeth the stroke of their wound.
27 Behold,
the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the
burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his
tongue as a devouring fire:
MATTHEW 24:21-22,29
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22
And except those days should be shortened,(DAY LIGHT HOURS SHORTENED)
there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake (ISRAELS SAKE)
those days shall be shortened (Daylight hours shortened)(THE ASTEROID
HITS EARTH HERE)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days
shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and
the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be
shaken:
REVELATION 16:7-9
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9
And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God,
which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him
glory.
EZEKIEL 32:6-9
6 I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest, even to the mountains; and the rivers shall be full of thee.
7
And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the
stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon
shall not give her light.
8 All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.
9
I will also vex the hearts of many people, when I shall bring thy
destruction among the nations, into the countries which thou hast not
known.
REVELATION 16:3-7
3 And the second angel poured out his
vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every
living soul died in the sea.(enviromentalists won't like this result)
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5
And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord,
which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6
For they(False World Church and Dictator and baby murderers by abortion)
have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them
blood to drink; for they are worthy.
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:
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise
against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC
GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall
be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11
And great earthquakes shall be in divers places,(DIFFERNT PLACES AT THE
SAME TIME) and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great
signs shall there be from heaven.
2 Peter 3:6-7 Amplified Bible (AMP) (HOT SUN, NUKES ETC)
6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.
7
By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire,
being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
LUKE 21:25-26
25
And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in
the moon,(MAN ON THE MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the
stars;(ASTEROIDS-PROPHECY SIGNS) and upon the earth distress of nations,
with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE
WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for
fear,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things
which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION-HEAVENLY OBJECTS) for the
powers of heaven shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)
Suspected
Ebola patient being treated at Haifa hospital after recent trip to
DRC-Health Ministry says patient in isolation with contact tracing
underway, but final test results not expected before Monday; if
confirmed, it would be 1st-ever Ebola case in Israel By ToI Staff, Diana
Bletter and AP Today, 1:50 am-JUN 21,26
A man suspected of
having contracted Ebola following a recent trip to the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been hospitalized at Rambam Medical
Center in Haifa, the Health Ministry announced on Friday, amid an
outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of the virus in the DRC and Uganda.The
suspected Ebola patient was being treated in isolation, the Health
Ministry said, and tracing was underway to alert anyone who may have
been in contact with the individual.As of Saturday afternoon, it had not
been confirmed that the man had contracted the disease, and the Health
Ministry said he was still undergoing testing, with the results expected
some 48 hours later.There is no airborne transmission of Ebola, and
infection occurs through direct contact with a sick person who is
displaying symptoms, or with their blood, bodily fluids or
secretions.The Kan public broadcaster published footage of medical
workers from the Magen David Adom emergency service being disinfected
after contact with the suspected patient.Israel’s health sector has been
preparing for the possibility of treating Ebola patients since an
outbreak was first reported in the DRC on May 15, 2026.The Health
Ministry stressed earlier this month that the chance of an outbreak of
the Bundibugyo strain of the virus remained low, but said it had
distributed protective equipment to hospitals for the safe treatment of
suspected cases.As part of its preparations, the ministry has encouraged
hospitals to establish dedicated complexes for treating suspected cases
of the disease.It has also worked to distribute professional guidelines
to relevant medical teams and hospitals, which are prepared to receive a
suspected Ebola case should it reach Israel.There has never been a
confirmed case of Ebola in Israel, according to the Health Ministry,
although there were several suspected cases that turned out to be
negative during a previous outbreak in 2014.The Health Ministry
recommends avoiding non-essential travel to areas in the DRC and Uganda
where there are confirmed cases of the disease.Travelers who have
returned from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda and
develop a fever or unusual symptoms within 21 days are asked to stay
home and avoid contact with others, and to immediately contact the
ministry’s hotline.The current outbreak in the DRC and Uganda has
claimed more than 200 lives in its first month, and is the worst known
outbreak at this stage, with up to 35,000 suspected potential contacts,
Africa’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on
Thursday.With 894 confirmed cases so far, the current outbreak is three
times worse than a previous outbreak in Uganda in 2000, which had 281
cases at the same point, said Dr. Wessam Mankoula, a medical
epidemiologist at Africa CDC.The latest number of cases is believed to
be higher because the outbreak was confirmed on May 15, weeks after it
was suspected to have begun. The number of cases has increased 38
percent since last week and is now in 32 health zones across eastern
Congo, said Mankoula.The rare Bundibugyo strain behind the current
outbreak has no approved vaccines or treatments. The more common Zaire
virus, for which there is a vaccine, was responsible for most of DRC’s
past 16 outbreaks of the disease.So far, 74 patients have recovered from
the disease across eastern DRC and Uganda. Experimental treatments like
monoclonal antibodies are being developed for Bundibugyo.The outbreak
is concentrated in DRC’s eastern province of Ituri, which accounts for
more than 90% of the cases. Cases have also been recorded in the North
Kivu and South Kivu provinces and have spread across the border to
Uganda, where 19 confirmed cases have been reported and two people have
died.Contact tracing remains an issue due to the area’s remoteness and
ongoing insecurity in Ituri province, Dr. Mankoula said.“For those 800
confirmed cases, we should have between 17,000 to 35,000 contacts that
should be in our contact list,” said Mankoula. Currently, only around
4,000 contacts have been tracked and are being evaluated, less than
15%.“We are still far from controlling the situation of this outbreak,”
said Mankoula.
Amber extreme heat warning updated with heatwave forecast for many-Author: Met Office-12:31 (UTC+1) on Sat 20 Jun 2026
The
Met Office has updated the Amber extreme heat warning for most of
southern England and southeastern Wales to now include eastern Wales and
much of the Midlands.Impacts to people and infrastructure are possible
and water safety is a particular concern.Heatwave conditions, initially
developing over southern and eastern England, are expected to persist
well into next week as well as spreading into many other parts of
England and Wales. The Met Office Amber extreme heat warning currently
runs through the whole of Monday and Tuesday and will be updated as
necessary as confidence in the duration of the heat through next week
increases.Peak temperatures are forecast to reach 35°C on Tuesday and
Wednesday, with growing confidence in the current highest temperature on
record for June being broken, this being 35.6°C recorded in Southampton
in June 1976.Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Steven Keates, said:
“While heatwave criteria will be met for some in the south and southeast
of England over the weekend, with temperatures into the low 30s Celsius
possible, the warmth will expand and intensify at the start of next
week, which, coupled with high temperatures overnight and high humidity,
leads to potential impacts.“Temperatures are forecast to reach 32°C on
Monday, climbing further to 35°C on Tuesday and Wednesday. By Thursday
temperatures are currently forecast to drop slightly, with a peak of
34°C more confined to the southeast of England. Importantly high
humidity will also mean this feels close, warmer and more uncomfortable
for many. Tropical nights, where the temperature doesn’t drop below 20°C
are also likely for some, especially in urban areas.”The warning
highlights potential health impacts for those vulnerable to extreme
heat, as well as the potential for heat-related issues for the wider
population and a range of sectors such as transport, energy and water
supply. A combination of higher humidity and temperatures remaining high
overnight exacerbate health impacts.An increase in potential water
safety incidents is also noted, as more people are likely to visit
coastal areas, lakes or rivers.The UK Health Security Agency has also
issued a series of Yellow and Amber Heat Health Alerts, which
specifically highlight the potential health and social care impacts.The
warmth also brings with it the risk of some thundery downpours for some
on Monday and Tuesday for a time, though these are forecast to be
isolated in nature.The exception for the hot conditions is further to
the northwest in the coming days, which will see more near-average
temperatures through the weekend and the return of more unsettled
weather on Tuesday.While most of us welcome the hot weather, it can
cause some people to become unwell.There are some simple things you can
do to keep yourself safe in the heat. Be #WeatherReady by planning your
time outside to avoid the hottest part of the day.Check out some tips
from our… pic.twitter.com/Pbz4yCMXbg— Met Office (@metoffice) June 20,
2026 -Staying safe in cold water -People heading to the coast should be
mindful that sea-surface temperatures are not as high as they would be
in mid-summer.Samantha Hughes is the National Water Safety Partner at
the RNLI. She said: “With warmer weather approaching, it’s important to
remember that the water is still cold. Entering it unexpectedly can lead
to cold water shock, causing a sudden increase in breathing and heart
rate, which may trigger panic.“If you find yourself struggling in the
water, remember to Float to Live: tilt your head back so your ears are
submerged, relax and control your breathing. You may need to gently use
your hands to help you stay afloat, and it’s ok if your legs
sink—everyone floats differently.“Where possible, always choose a
lifeguarded beach, and swim between the red and yellow flags. In a
coastal emergency remember to call 999 for the coastguard.”You can
find water safety advice on our website and in the refreshed Met Office
app, now featuring a dedicated beach forecast with tide times, wave
heights and sea-surface temperatures, as well as guidance on UV and
pollen levels. If you're planning on enjoying the water, here are three
simple ways you can help keep yourself safer: Check the water
temperature, our seas and river temperatures are low enough to cause
cold water shock when 15°C or lower Wear a wetsuit if you plan on
spending any length of time in the water Wearing a life jacket or
swimming buoy can increase your chances if you experience cold water
shock From this weekend, the UK will see temperatures increase
dramatically.With #DrowningPreventionWeek in mind, it’s important to
consider your safety around water.Read the Water Safety Code:
https://t.co/fZmjAJNiy2#DPW2026 pic.twitter.com/ApFUEUxyJw— Royal Life
Saving Society UK - RLSS UK (@RLSSUK) June 18, 2026 Outlook for next
week-The high temperatures are forecast to persist through the week,
especially in the southeast of England. There is some uncertainty in how
long the highest temperatures will continue due to increasing cloud and
thunderstorm risk, the detail of which will become clearer as we get
closer to the time. It is expected further warnings will be issued once
this confidence increases. Further to the northwest conditions will be
cooler and cloudier, with some light rain moving in at times.Hot weather
and climate change-The current highest temperature on record for June
is 35.6°C and there remains a chance of this figure being challenged
next week.The frequency and intensity of heatwaves has increased
worldwide. Met Office projections indicate that hot spells will become
more frequent in our future climate, particularly over the south-east of
the UK. Temperatures are projected to rise in all seasons, but the heat
would be most intense in summer.It is virtually certain that human
influence has increased the occurrence and intensity of extreme heat
events. Numerous climate attribution studies have shown that human
influence increased the chance that specific extreme heat events would
occur, such as the summer of 2018 and July 2022.
Storms, floods
and scorching heat grip the U.S. as World Cup and holiday travel
peak-The National Weather service issued a flood watch for much an area
of Missouri that includes Kansas City Stadium, the venue for Saturday’s
World Cup match between Ecuador and Curaçao.June 20, 2026, 12:56 PM EDT /
Updated June 20, 2026, 7:31 PM EDT By Denise Chow
Severe storms,
flash flooding and extreme heat are battering parts of the Plains,
Midwest and the South this weekend, threatening to disrupt World Cup
fans, athletes and holiday travelers alike.Flood alerts remain in effect
for around 20 million people across the central and southern parts of
the country. In the South, including in eastern Texas, Louisiana,
southern Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia, the remnants of
Tropical Storm Arthur continue to sweep through the region.The National
Weather Service said a “flash flood threat” remained through the evening
for the Gulf Coast, from Galveston, Texas, to the Florida panhandle.
Rain was recorded along the entirety of the coast on Saturday, as well
as in parts of Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri, according to weather
service data.Video taken from Vestavia Hills, a community in central
Alabama, showed brown floodwater inundating local streets amid the roar
of rain.Preliminary rainfall totals in Louisiana on Friday may have set a
new state record. The existing record stands at 22 inches of
precipitation in 24 hours; an estimated 29 inches fell in Cottonport
during that same window on Friday, with preliminary measurements of 22
inches recorded in Plaucheville and 17 inches in Simmesport near the
Atchafalaya River.Additional heavy rain this weekend in parts of Texas,
Louisiana and Mississippi — already waterlogged from Thursday and
Friday’s storms — could trigger further flash flooding, according to the
weather service. The agency cautioned that “the very moist airmass in
place and saturated soils from the last week mean that locally
significant flash flooding is a possibility if a storm sits over one
place for too long.”Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Saturday that an
estimated 4,000 utility customers were without power.“The State of
Mississippi continues coordinating response efforts with local, state,
and federal partners,” he said on X. “We will continue deploying
resources as requested.”The Plains and parts of the Midwest face storm
threats, with potentially dire consequences for Saturday evening’s World
Cup match between Ecuador and Curaçao in Kansas City, Missouri.The
weather service issued a flood watch for much of Kansas City and its
surroundings, an area that includes Kansas City Stadium, the venue for
the World Cup match. The watch starts at 7 p.m. CT and extends through
Sunday evening, with federal forecasters saying “torrential rainfall” is
possible as a cold front collides with tropical air to create severe
thunderstorms.Flood watches are also in effect in Nebraska, Kansas,
Illinois and Indiana, where thunderstorms could produce dangerous flash
flooding.Much of Nebraska, Kansas and easternmost Colorado may see
thunderstorms Saturday, with the potential for tornadoes, large hail and
wind gusts up to 75 mph.The weather service issued tornado warnings
early Saturday evening for northern and northeastern portions of Kansas,
including Decatur County and Rawlins County.By Sunday morning, the
National Weather Service said, the storms will push east through the
Midwest, “dragging the threat of flash flooding eastward as additional
storms develop along the slow-moving warm front.”Meanwhile, 29 million
people around the country are under heat alerts, including parts of the
South that are baking under extreme heat and humidity. Heat advisories
are in effect in southeastern Texas, where heat index values — a measure
of what conditions feel like when humidity and air temperatures are
combined — could reach as high as 108 degrees Fahrenheit.The weather
service said “feels like” temperatures for Houston could reach as high
as 108 Saturday as forecasters issued a heat advisory through 10 p.m.
CT. Part of the region, an area south and southeast of downtown, was
also subject to a flash flood warning through 7:15 p.m. CT.More than
15,000 utility customers were without power in Texas, according to
utility tracker PowerOutage.us.The weather service urged residents to
“stay hydrated and wear lightweight, light-colored clothing,” and to
“limit strenuous outdoor activities, especially during the
afternoon.”Heat advisories also cover Louisiana, southern Alabama and
South Florida.The weekend’s patchwork of severe weather could cause
headaches for holiday travelers. The Transportation Security
Administration projects heavy travel volumes on both days flanking the
long weekend, with more than 3 million passengers expected to pass
through TSA checkpoints on Sunday alone.Denise Chow-Denise Chow is a
science and space reporter for NBC News.
Louisiana braces for
more heavy rainfall as millions are under flash flood watches across the
South-The remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur are continuing to bring
life-threatening effects to the Southeast.June 19, 2026, 12:28 PM EDT /
Updated June 19, 2026, 2:11 PM EDT By Mirna Alsharif and Kathryn Prociv
Louisiana
is bracing for more heavy rainfall that could lead to damaging flash
flooding across the state.Around 10 million people across Texas,
Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and the Florida Panhandle are
under flash flood watches Friday.The remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur
are continuing to bring heavy rainfall and life-threatening flash
flooding to the Southeast, including Louisiana and Mississippi.Earlier
this week, Louisiana residents reported downed trees, heavy rain and
strong winds. NBC News teams on the ground saw knee-deep floodwaters,
flipped-over train cars and destruction to buildings. Governor Jeff
Landry declared a state of emergency on Thursday in six parishes,
including Avoyelles and Pointe Coupee, to assist in providing resources
for clean up efforts.Arthur is expected to emerge over the Atlantic
Ocean on Friday afternoon and has a 10% chance of regaining strength the
next few days. Even if that happens, it will be moving away from the
coast with no additional impacts expected.On Friday, slow-moving storms
will be capable of producing 2 to 3 inches of rainfall per hour, which
will likely result in additional flash flooding. Cities under a moderate
risk for flooding include Hattiesburg and Biloxi in Mississippi and
Mobile and Dothan in Alabama, where additional rainfall totals through
Saturday may reach 4 to 6 inches.In Louisiana, the state record for a
24-hour rainfall is 22 inches. Preliminary rainfall totals predicted so
far include 29 inches in Cottonport, 22 inches in Plaucheville and 17
inches in Simmesport near the Atchafalaya River.If the preliminary
numbers are verified, Friday’s rainfall will set a new 24-hour record
for the state.Rainfall totals elsewhere in the South include a foot of
rain in Perkinston and Black Creek, Mississippi, and 11 inches in
Village Mills, Texas.Weekend severe storms-The severe risk returns to
the Great Plains on Saturday and parts of the Midwest again by Sunday.On
Saturday, much of Nebraska, Kansas and eastern Colorado will be at risk
for storms capable of producing wind gusts up to 75 mph, hail measuring
2 inches or more in diameter and a few tornadoes.There will also be a
flood risk for these areas, with a flood watch in place from northeast
Kansas into northern Missouri. Cities to watch include North Platte and
Lincoln in Nebraska; Salina and Wichita in Kansas; and Kansas City,
Missouri.On Sunday, 12 million people are at risk for severe storms from
eastern Colorado to central Illinois. All hazards are possible, and
cities to watch include Wichita; Oklahoma City; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and St.
Louis.Heat, humidity and fires in the South-Heat alerts are in effect
for 41 million people across the southern Plains, the Deep South and the
southern half of Florida, where crews are battling the dry and windy
conditions fueling active brush fires in west Miami-Dade
County.Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said crews, along with two National Guard
helicopters, are assisting the Florida Forest Service and other agencies
in fighting the fires.The fire rescue service said Friday, citing FFS,
the Quarry 2 Fire remains at approximately 17,200 acres, and is 75%
contained, while the Well Fire remains at about 1,300 acres and is 50%
contained.South Texas can expect dangerous heat index values of 110 to
120 degrees Fahrenheit, while South Florida can expect values of 105 to
110. The heat index describes what the temperature feels like to the
human body.High temperatures over the weekend are expected to reach
around 93 in Houston and Miami and 92 in New Orleans.Mirna
Alsharif-Mirna Alsharif is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.Kathryn
Prociv-Kathryn Prociv is a senior meteorologist and producer for NBC
News.Nicole Duarte contributed.
Tropical Storm Arthur, first
named storm of the season, weakens but flood threat remains-Much of the
Southeast had been dealing with a prolonged drought. Five to 10 inches
of rain could fall in parts of Texas — which could cause
life-threatening flooding.June 17, 2026, 4:49 PM EDT / Updated June 18,
2026, 12:38 AM EDT By Evan Bush
The first named storm of the
hurricane season weakened Wednesday night, but forecasters warned that
it still posed a threat of massive amounts of rain and continued flash
flooding.The heavy rain and flood risk is due to Tropical Storm Arthur,
which formed off Texas on Wednesday morning. Storms get names once their
wind speeds reach or exceed 39 mph.By around 10 p.m. CT, the storm had
degenerated to a low pressure area — but the National Weather Service
warned that “life-threatening flooding” was expected to continue in the
southeastern U.S.Around 5 to 10 inches of rain could fall in parts of
Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana, with as much as 20 inches in some
areas, the National Hurricane Center said Wednesday night.Brazoria
County, on the Texas Gulf Coast south of Houston, recorded 55 mph winds
Wednesday morning as the tropical storm moved through, according to the
weather service.“Heavy rainfall and life-threatening flash flooding
remain the primary hazard with this system,” forecasters said Wednesday
morning.The highest flash flood potential over the next three days
stretches from Lake Charles, Louisiana, to Montgomery, Alabama, with the
highest rainfall totals expected near Mobile, Alabama, according to the
National Hurricane Center.Zachary Handlos, an atmospheric scientist at
the Georgia Institute of Technology, said the potential for flash
flooding will be determined by how quickly the storm moves through the
region.“What it comes down to is, is the rainfall going to park itself
or become stationary over any of these locations?” Handlos said. “That
is a little harder to predict.”Parts of Texas are already dealing with
severe rain. On Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration
for 101 counties due to severe storms.Before this month, Handlos said,
large parts of the Southeast, like northwest Mississippi and Louisiana,
had been dealing with a prolonged drought. Recent rain has helped quench
the dryness, but it could also prime the region for flooding as Arthur
moves through.“After going through most of March, April and some of May
with almost no precipitation, things have kind of switched,” Handlos
said.“If you have more saturated soils or regions where there’s water
that’s pooling up and maybe not drying out fast enough, now you’re just
dumping an additional amount of moisture on top of this, which can lead
to localized flooding,” he added.Houston and Atlanta are both hosting
World Cup games amid the wet weather. Houston canceled its FIFA Fan
Festival on Monday because of rain and opened with shorter hours on
Tuesday. Handlos said he did not expect major issues with the games
themselves, though.“There’s a match right now in Houston. I think
they’re west of the worst of it, in terms of impacts,” Handlos said. “In
Atlanta, I think the worst-case scenarios are probably that people are
gonna get wet, there might be some minor flooding, and if anyone’s in a
car driving, just get ready to get stuck in traffic.”Arthur is the first
storm in what is expected to be a relatively mild hurricane season.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasters predicted in
May that the season will feature just three to six hurricanes (storms
are considered hurricanes once winds reach 74 mph) and eight to 14 named
tropical storms.An El Niño pattern has developed in the tropical
Pacific, which is a main reason for the mild forecast. El Niño is
associated with less hurricane formation in the Atlantic but a more
active season in the Pacific.El Niño often leads to high vertical wind
shear, a term that describes the difference between wind speed or
direction at different layers of the atmosphere. Hurricanes thrive when
there’s low wind shear, so El Niño tends to prevent hurricanes from
organizing.However, ingredients are in place to fuel any storms that do
develop.“Even with an El Niño occurring, the sea surface temperatures in
the Gulf and the Atlantic are still fairly warm, and they’re warm
enough that a storm could still pop up if the right ingredients come
together. That’s what we’re seeing with Arthur now,” Handlos said.“Even
if we have less total named storms this season compared to previous
years, all it takes is one named storm,” he added.Evan Bush-Evan Bush is
a science reporter for NBC News. Phil Helsel contributed.
News(C)om
declares state of emergency for commercial fire in L.A.’s Boyle Heights
neighborhood-Smoke from the stubborn blaze that began Wednesday has
impacted the region’s air quality.June 20, 2026, 5:40 PM EDT / Updated
June 21, 2026, 1:15 AM EDT / Source: NBC Los Angeles By Karla Rendon,
NBC Los Angeles, Karma Dickerson, NBC Los Angeles and Amber Frias, NBC
Los Angeles
California Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of
emergency on Saturday night in response to the fire that has been
burning at a cold-food storage facility in the Los Angeles neighborhood
of Boyle Heights for several days, his office said.“California is
mobilizing to support Los Angeles as firefighters and emergency
personnel continue their work to contain this fire and protect
surrounding communities,” Newsom said in a news release. “While local
officials continue to lead this response, the State of California is
prepared to safeguard public health, support emergency operations, and
assist impacted residents.”The governor added that the state will
coordinate with local agencies to make sure they have support during the
firefight and throughout the recovery process. That includes preparing
5.5 million N95 masks, air purifiers, bottled water and other emergency
supplies, as well as air quality monitoring, according to his office.The
announcement comes hours after Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an
emergency declaration for the fire.“We’re going to declare a joint state
of emergency,” the mayor said in an interview with NBC Los Angeles.
“We’re in contact with the governor because this has escalated to a
problem where we are very concerned about the health of the
community.”The stubborn blaze began Wednesday and caused a
shelter-in-place order to be issued for neighboring residents. It was
lifted that same evening as the firefight looked optimistic, but
flare-ups occurred on Thursday and crews have continued to fight the
fire since as smoke from the blaze impacted the region’s air
quality.With an emergency declaration in place, the city will be granted
state resources that will help relieve the local resources that have
been used against the commercial fire. Los Angeles Fire Department Chief
Jaime Moore said L.A. firefighters have been tasked with not only
responding to the blaze in Boyle Heights, but also other community
emergencies in their respective domains.“We clearly need resources from
the state to allow us to take the steps that are needed to make sure
that this area is safe,” Bass said.Bass and Moore have expressed concern
that because the fire is at a frozen food storage facility, the more
than 85 million pounds of food is decaying and creates the possibility
of a biohazard. According to the LAFD, Lineage, the facility where the
fire is burning, houses frozen bread and meat products, and if those
products decay any further, it may create biohazardous conditions.Moore
said the building’s interior has remained relatively cold, measuring
about 45 degrees at last check. But he says that won’t last.“I wouldn’t
say it’s potentially dangerous; it would be unpleasant,” Moore said. “It
would be a horrible odor, but what we’re looking at is what those gases
would produce or create. We’ve already mitigated the hazardous
materials portion by removing the ammonia and other chemicals that were
used as refrigerants. … Now, it’s really what’s going to happen when
this food starts decomposing?”Bass likened the situation in Boyle
Heights, which is east of downtown Los Angeles, to when food rots during
a power outage.“The gas that that emits, that’s the biohazard that
we’re worried about,” she said.Video from NewsChopper4 on Saturday
showed smoke still billowing into the sky, impacting the region’s air
quality. A smoke advisory remains in effect, and the South Coast Air
Quality Management District extended a particle pollution advisory until
12:30 p.m. PT Sunday.Moore said the fire department has brought in
contracted helicopters capable of dropping 3,000 gallons of water at a
time — a significant increase from the 480 gallons the LAFD helicopters
can carry. Crews are also using a gel-type fire retardant to help
smother the fire, with the hope of speeding up suppression efforts.Those
affected by the blaze can call 211 for masks and air purifiers.
Additionally, two shelter locations have been opened:Pecan Rec Center —
145 S. Pecan St., Los Angeles 90033-City Terrace Park — 1126 N. Hazard
Ave, Los Angeles 90063Lineage has been responsive and is cooperating
fully with the investigation, according to the LAFD chief.In 2024, a
fire started on the roof of the same facility.Karla Rendon, NBC Los
Angeles-Karla Rendon is a digital content producer for NBC Los
Angeles.Karma Dickerson is a reporter for the NBC4 News.Amber Frias, NBC
Los Angeles-Amber Frias is a reporter for NBC Los Angeles.
HD
189733b looks deep blue from space, almost Earth-like at first glance —
but its colour comes not from oceans, but from silicate particles in a
scorching atmosphere where glass may rain sideways through winds of
thousands of kilometres an hour.
From a distance, the exoplanet
HD 189733b looks like the most reassuring thing in the sky: a deep blue
world, the same cobalt as Earth seen from orbit.By Space Daily Editorial
Team · Editorial process-Published June 21, 2026
HD 189733b
looks deep blue from space, almost Earth-like at first glance — but its
colour comes not from oceans, but from silicate particles in a scorching
atmosphere where glass may rain sideways through winds of thousands of
kilometres an hour.From a distance, the exoplanet HD 189733b looks like
the most reassuring thing in the sky: a deep blue world, the same cobalt
as Earth seen from orbit. The resemblance ends there, and it ends hard.
The blue does not come from oceans. It comes from a scorching
atmosphere hazed with silicate particles, the raw material of glass, in a
place where that glass may fall sideways on winds of thousands of
kilometres an hour.It is, in other words, an Earth-coloured planet that
is about as far from Earth-like as a planet can get.A blue that was
actually measured-The colour is not an artist’s guess. In 2013,
astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope measured it directly, by
watching the planet’s light as it slipped behind its star and noting how
the colour of the combined light changed. The dip told them what the
planet alone was reflecting. The answer was a deep azure blue, and it
was the first time the visible colour of a planet beyond our solar
system had been pinned down.HD 189733b sits about 63 light-years away
and is what astronomers call a hot Jupiter: a gas giant the size of our
own, but orbiting so close to its star that it laps it in roughly two
days.Why it is blue, and why that misleads-On Earth, blue is the work of
water and air, sunlight scattering through the atmosphere and bouncing
off oceans. It is tempting to read the same story onto any blue dot.The
Vessel-A Greenland shark studied in 2016 was estimated to be nearly 400
years old, meaning it may have been born around the time Shakespeare’s
era was ending — and, astonishingly, would not have reached sexual
maturity for more than another century.The 1815 eruption of Mount
Tambora in Indonesia, the largest documented volcanic eruption in human
history, killed approximately 90,000 people directly and produced the
year without a summer in 1816, a climate disruption that caused famine
across the Northern Hemisphere, may have triggered the first global
cholera pandemic, and produced the cold dark summer at Lake Geneva
during which Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein-HD 189733b has neither
ocean nor surface to speak of. It is a ball of gas, and its blue comes
from high hazes laced with silicate grains that happen to scatter blue
light while absorbing other colours. The outcome looks identical to
Earth from far enough away. The cause could hardly be more different.
Same colour, opposite reason.Glass rain, sideways-The conditions that
make those silicate hazes are brutal. The daytime atmosphere runs to
more than 1,000 degrees Celsius, hot enough that silicates exist as
vapour and then condense into tiny molten droplets of glass as they
cool.Add the wind.Models of the planet put its atmospheric winds at
around 7,000 kilometres an hour, something like seven times the speed of
sound, which would drive those glass droplets horizontally rather than
letting them fall in any gentle way. By one description, at that
velocity a single droplet would strike with something like the energy of
a small artillery shell. Hence the striking image that has stuck to
this planet: rain made of glass, blowing sideways.Two honest caveats
belong with that picture. Because HD 189733b is a gas giant, there is no
ground for rain to land on in the way it does on Earth; the droplets
form and move within the atmosphere itself. And the sideways-glass
description is an inference drawn from the silicate clouds and the
modelled winds, not something anyone has photographed. It is a
reasonable reading of harsh data, not a postcard.What the colour really
tells you-The useful lesson here is about how much a colour can hide. A
blue planet is not a watery one by default, and the most Earth-looking
dot in a telescope can turn out to be a furnace where the weather is
made of glass.HD 189733b is one of the most closely studied planets
outside our system precisely because it is near enough and crosses its
star often enough to interrogate. The more we learn about it, the
clearer the warning becomes: at interstellar distances, appearances are a
starting point for questions, not an answer to them.
