THAT NKOREA LIL SCUMBAG UN IS SHOOTING SHORT RANGE MISSLES AGAIN.

THAT NKOREA LIL SCUMBAG UN IS SHOOTING SHORT RANGE MISSLES AGAIN.

INVENTION OF THE ATOMIC BOMB.

2 PETER 3:10-11
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements (NUKES) shall melt with fervent heat,(BLAST) the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.(BUT ITS NO END OF THE WORLD HOGWASH)
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved,(BY NUKES INCLUDING 3 BILLION PEOPLE) what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.

JESUS SHED HIS BLOOD FOR US THAT WE CAN BE SAVED FOREVER.AND DURING WW3 PEOPLES BLOOD WILL BE SHED AS A JUDGEMENT FOR HATING HIM AND ISRAEL.GOD IS NOT MOCKED.

ZEPHANIAH 1:2-3
2  I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD.
3  I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.

PSALMS 97:3
3 A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.

EZEKIEL 5:15-17
15  So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment unto the (ARAB/MUSLIM) nations that are round about thee,(ISRAEL) when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes. I the LORD have spoken it.
16  When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:
17  So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts,(WHEN RUSSIA/MUSLIMS GET DEFEATED THIER BODIES GET EATEN BY BIRDS,ANIMALS IN ISRAEL MIGRATION SEASON) and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee;(NUKES) and I will bring the sword upon thee. I the LORD have spoken it.

REVELATION 14:18-20
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city,(JERUSALEM) and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.(200 MILES) (THE SIZE OF ISRAEL)

ISAIAH 66:15-18
15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire,(NUKES) and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.
18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.

ISAIAH 26:21
21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity:(GOD/ISRAEL HATE AND BRAKING OF HIS COMMANDMENTS) the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.(WW3,1/2 earths population die - 3 BILLION).

ISAIAH 13:6-13 KJV
6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:(FROM FRIGHT)
8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

ISAIAH 24:17-23 KJV
17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.

2 TIMOTHY 3:1
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come.

JOEL 2:3,30

ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)

EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.

ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

REVELATION 9:18
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(ATOMIC BOMBS)(RUSSIA CHINA DESTROYED BY ISRAELS ATOMIC BOMBS)

REVELATION 16:12-16
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE POPE)
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE FROM NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

JOEL 3:2 (YOU WANNA DIVIDE JERUSALEM IN HALF (HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION KILLED AS A RESULT)
02-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.

PROOF HALF ON EARTH DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD (8 BILLION ON EARTH)

REVELATION 6:7-8 (8 BILLION- 2 BILLION = 6 BILLION)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 BILLION) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).

REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)

HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)

LUKE 17:34-37 (8 TOTAL BILLION - 4 BILLION DEAD IN TRIB = 4 BILLION TO JESUS KINGDOM) (HALF DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD JUST LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS)(GOD DOES NOT LIE)(AND NOTICE MOST DIE IN WAR AND DISEASES-NOT COMETS-ASTEROIDS-QUAKES OR TSUNAMIS)
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.(half earths population 4 billion die in the 7 yr trib)
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.

MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

NAHUM 3:13
13 Behold, your troops are women in your midst. The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; fire has devoured your bars.

DR DOCTORION-ANGEL OF THE MIDEAST
"The angel showed me that the United Nations shall be broken in pieces because of the crisis in the Middle East. There shall be no more United Nations. The angel with the sickle shall reap the harvest.

FIRST ANGEL: ASIA
But the angel said: "Millions will die in China and in India. Nation will be against nation, brother against brother. Asians will fight each other. Nuclear weapons shall be used, killing millions."Twice I heard the words, "Catastrophic! Catastrophic!"Then the angel said, "Financial crisis will come to Asia. I will shake the world."I was trembling while the angel was speaking.
SECOND ANGEL: MIDDLE EAST
Then I saw that the second angel had a sickle in his hand, such as is used in harvesting.The second angel said: "Harvest time has come in Israel and the countries all the way to Iran."I saw those countries in a few split seconds."All of Turkey and those [inaudible] countries that have refused me and refused my message of love shall hate each other and kill one another."I saw the angel raise the sickle and come down on all the Middle East countries. I saw Iran, Persia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, all of Georgia - Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, all of Asia Minor - full of blood. I saw blood all over these countries. And I saw fire; Nuclear weapons used in many of those countries. Smoke rising from everywhere. Sudden destruction – men destroying one another. I heard these words:"Israel, Oh Israel, the great judgment has come."

Pakistan shoots down 25 Indian drones near military installations-By Muhammad DAUD with Parvaiz BUKHARI in Srinagar.

Rawalpindi, Pakistan (AFP) May 8, 2025-Pakistan's army said Thursday it shot down 25 Indian drones, a day after the worst violence between the nuclear-armed rivals in two decades.Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed to retaliate after India launched deadly missile strikes on Wednesday morning, escalating days of gunfire along their border.At least 45 deaths were reported from both sides following Wednesday's violence, including children.Pakistan's military said in a statement Thursday that it had "so far shot down 25 Israeli-made Harop drones" at multiple location across the country."Last night, India showed another act of aggression by sending drones to multiple locations," Pakistan's military spokesman Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said from the army's headquarters in Rawalpindi, where a drone was downed."One managed to engage in a military target near Lahore," he said, adding that four troops in the city were injured.He earlier said the operation was ongoing.One civilian was killed and another injured in Sindh as a result of the drone incidents.Crowds gathered at crash sites, some close to army installations, to gaze at the debris.Blasts could be heard across Lahore.The Civil Aviation Authority said Karachi airport was closed until 6 pm (1300 GMT), while Islamabad and Lahore were briefly shut "for operational reasons".Pakistan and Indian have fought several wars over the Muslim-majority disputed region of Kashmir -- divided between the two but claimed in full by both."We will avenge each drop of the blood of these martyrs," Sharif said, in an address to the nation.- 'Right to respond' -Speaking after the Wednesday missile strike, India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said New Delhi had a "right to respond" following an attack on tourists in Pahalgam in Kashmir last month, when gunmen killed 26 people, mainly Hindu men.New Delhi blamed the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba -- a UN-designated terrorist organisation for the Pahalgam shooting, and the nations traded days of threats and diplomatic measures.Pakistan has denied any involvement and called for an independent investigation into the April 22 attack.India said on Wednesday it had destroyed nine "terrorist camps" in Pakistan in "focused, measured and non-escalatory" strikes.Islamabad said Wednesday that 31 civilians were killed by Indian strikes and firing along the border.New Delhi said 13 civilians and a soldier had been killed by Pakistani fire.Pakistan's military also said five Indian jets had been downed across the border, but New Delhi has not responded to the claims.An Indian senior security source, who asked not to be named, said three of its fighter jets had crashed on home territory.- 'Screamed' -The largest Indian strike was on an Islamic seminary near the Punjabi city of Bahawalpur, killing 13 people according to the Pakistan military.Muhammad Riaz said he and his family had been made homeless after Indian strikes hit Muzaffarabad, the main city of Pakistan-administered Kashmir."There is no place to live," he said. "There is no space at the house of our relatives. We are very upset, we have nowhere to go."On the Indian side of the frontier on Wednesday, Madasar Choudhary, 29, described how his sister saw two children killed in Poonch, where Pakistan military carried out shelling."She saw two children running out of her neighbour's house and screamed for them to get back inside," Choudhary said, narrating her account because she was too shocked to speak."But shrapnel hit the children -- and they eventually died."- 'No pushover' -India on Thursday braced for Pakistan's threatened retaliation.In an editorial on Thursday, the Indian Express wrote "there is no reason to believe that the Pakistan Army has been chastened by the Indian airstrikes", adding that Indian military experts were "aware that Pakistan's armed forces are no pushover"."Border districts on high alert," The Hindu newspaper headline read, adding that "India must be prepared for escalatory action" by Pakistan.Diplomats and world leaders have pressured both countries to step back from the brink"I want to see them stop," US President Donald Trump said Wednesday.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is slated to meet his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Thursday in New Delhi, days after visiting Pakistan, as Tehran seeks to mediate.Analysts said they were fully expecting Pakistani military action to "save face" in a response to India."India's limited objectives are met," said Happymon Jacob, director of the New Delhi-based think tank Council for Strategic and Defence Research."Pakistan has a limited objective of ensuring that it carries out a retaliatory strike to save face domestically and internationally. So, that is likely to happen."Based on past conflicts, he believed it would "likely end in a few iterations of exchange of long-range gunfire or missiles into each other's territory".burs-pjm/ecl/lb

North Korea fires flurry of short-range ballistic missiles-By Claire LEE.

Seoul (AFP) May 8, 2025-North Korea fired multiple types of short-range ballistic missiles Thursday, South Korea's military said, around a week after leader Kim Jong Un tested a new weapons system for his latest warship.Seoul's military said it had "detected the launch of various types of short-range ballistic missiles," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.The missiles were "fired from the Wonsan area of North Korea into the East Sea between approximately 08:10 and 09:20 today (from 2310 GMT Wednesday)," they added, referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan.The missiles flew up to about 800 kilometers before splashing down in waters to the east of the peninsula, the JCS said, adding it strongly condemned the North for a "clear act of provocation that poses a serious threat to peace and stability"."Our military, under the strong South Korea-US combined defense posture, is closely monitoring various North Korean activities to prevent any misjudgment (by the North)," it said in a statement.The launch, the nuclear-armed North's first missile test since March, came about a week after Kim oversaw the test-firing of a new warship weapons system.Pyongyang unveiled the 5,000-ton destroyer-class vessel named Choe Hyon last month.North Korea claims the vessel was equipped with the "most powerful weapons", and that it would "enter into operation early next year".Some analysts have said the ship could be equipped with short-range tactical nuclear missiles -- although North Korea has not proven it has the ability to miniaturise its nukes.The South Korean military has said the destroyer could have been developed with Russian help -- possibly in exchange for Pyongyang deploying thousands of troops to help Moscow fight Kyiv.Russia and North Korea also recently announced that they had started building the first road bridge linking the two neighbours.North Korea launched a flurry of ballistic missiles last year in violation of UN sanctions.Experts have long warned that the nuclear-armed North may be testing weapons for export to Russia for use against Ukraine.The launch also came as Russia prepared to hold World War II Victory Day commemorations, with world leaders including China's Xi Jinping expected to attend -- but not Pyongyang's Kim.A three-day truce in the conflict with Ukraine has been ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin to coincide with the celebrations, although Kyiv has never agreed to it and has dismissed it as political theatre.The Thursday missile launch appears to "serve as a reminder of North Korea's contribution and stake in Russia's apparent efforts to commemorate Victory Day as a triumph over Ukraine," Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, told AFP.- Testing, testing -Japan's defence ministry said there was no impact on Japan from the North Korean missiles, according to public broadcaster NHK.Kim earlier this week inspected shell manufacturing at munitions factories, with state media claiming the country's shell output had increased dramatically in recent months.Given the latest development, it is "entirely possible" that Thursday's missile launch "served as a test firing prior to potential export to Russia", North Korean studies scholar Ahn Chan-il told AFP.South Korea's military said in early March that the North fired "multiple unidentified ballistic missiles", the same day Seoul and Washington began a major annual joint military drill known as Freedom Shield.Pyongyang also carried out a test-launch of strategic cruise missiles in the Yellow Sea in late February, which it said showed off "counterattack capabilities".Washington -- Seoul's key security ally -- has in recent years ramped up joint military exercises and increased the presence of strategic US assets, such as an aircraft carrier and a nuclear-powered submarine, in the region to deter the North.Pyongyang has repeatedly declared itself an "irreversible" nuclear weapons state and routinely denounces joint US-South Korea drills as rehearsals for invasion.The two Koreas are technically still at war as the 1950-1953 conflict ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty.With relations souring, the North last year blew up roads and railways connecting it to the South and fortified areas of the border with more mines.In early April, South Korea's military said its troops fired warning shots when around 10 North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the heavily fortified border that divides the peninsula.

China vows to stand with Russia in face of 'hegemonic bullying'-by AFP Staff Writers.

Moscow (AFP) May 8, 2025-China's Xi Jinping was in Moscow on Thursday for a state visit ahead of the Kremlin's grand Victory Day celebrations, as Ukraine accused Russia's army of launching air strikes just hours into a supposed truce.More than 20 foreign leaders are in Russia to attend a vast military parade on Friday marking 80 years since the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, taking place three years into Russia's offensive in Ukraine.Putin ordered troops into Ukraine in February 2022 and has marshalled the memory of Soviet victory against Nazi Germany to justify his campaign and rally society behind the offensive, which has killed tens of thousands of people.In a meeting in the Kremlin, Putin told Xi: "Together with our Chinese friends, we firmly stand on guard of historical truth, protect the memory of events of the war years and counter modern manifestations of neo-Nazism and militarism."Russian society has seen unprecedented militarisation during the Ukraine conflict and the Kremlin has tightly controlled the memory of World War II.Putin claimed that his offensive against Ukraine is aimed at "de-Nazifying" the country, which Kyiv called "incomprehensible".Russia has captured swathes of Ukrainian territory and flattened cities and towns across the east with daily bombardments, forcing millions to flee their homes.Xi told Putin that Beijing stood alongside Russia in the face of "hegemonic bullying" -- a nod to the two countries' anti-US stance."In the face of the international counter-current of unilateralism and hegemonic bullying behaviour, China will work with Russia to shoulder the special responsibilities of major world powers," Xi said.Ahead of the meeting, Putin called Xi his "dear friend", while Xi referred to the Kremlin leader as his "old friend".- Truce -Putin has ordered his army to stop firing on Ukraine for three days to mark the May 9 celebrations -- an order that came into effect at midnight (2100 GMT Wednesday).But Ukraine, which dismissed the ceasefire as theatrics and never said it would abide by it, said Russia had broken its own order after just a few hours.Ukrainian authorities said Moscow launched an aerial bomb attack on the northeastern Sumy region overnight."During the night, the enemy intensified tactical aviation strikes using guided aerial bombs in the Sumy region," Kyiv's air force said.However, it said that as of 8:00 am, "no missile attacks or attack drones were recorded in Ukrainian airspace."Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky repeated his call for an unconditional 30-day full ceasefire -- a US proposal he previously accepted but that was rejected by Putin.Zelensky denounced Moscow's World War II commemorations as a "parade of cynicism" and renewed calls for support against Russia."Just as it did 80 years ago, when it finally became clear to everyone: evil cannot be appeased. It must be fought. Together. Resolutely. With force. With pressure," he said on social media.Ukrainian drone attacks have caused travel chaos across Russia this week, shutting dozens of airports and forcing hundreds of flights to be cancelled or rerouted.US President Donald Trump has sought to end Moscow's assault on Ukraine since his inauguration in January, but has failed to ease hostilities between the enemies.The White House has become increasingly frustrated at the lack of progress and Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday called on the two sides to enter direct talks.- Parade -The Kremlin was forced Wednesday to say it was taking "all necessary measures" to ensure the safety of world leaders in Russia for the parade.In the run-up to the event, Putin has railed against what he casts as a distortion of Russia's World War II history -- criticising what he sees in the West as an attempt to downplay the Soviet Union's contribution."The countless sacrifices made by both our peoples are worth remembering forever. The Soviet Union gave 27 million lives, laying them on the altar of the Fatherland and on the altar of victory," he told Xi.Trump has in recent days hailed the United States' contribution as the most decisive in the allies' 1945 victory over Nazi Germany.World War II is officially remembered in Russia as the "Great Patriotic War", beginning with Germany's surprise invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 and ending with Germany's capitulation in 1945.The period between 1939 and 1941 -- when the Soviet Union had a non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany and invaded Poland -- is glossed over in official history books.

Iran unveils new ballistic missile with 1,200 km range by AFP Staff Writers.

Tehran (AFP) May 4, 2025-Iran on Sunday unveiled a new solid-fuel ballistic missile with a range of 1,200 kilometres (745 miles), state television reported, at a time of rising tensions with the West."The solid propellant Ghassem Basir ballistic missile has a range of at least 1,200 kilometres and is Iran's latest defence achievement," the broadcaster said.Western nations have raised concerns about Tehran's missile capabilities, accusing it of destabilising the Middle East.Iran supports the "axis of resistance" network of militant groups opposed to Israel, including Yemen's Huthi rebels, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Shiite armed groups in Iraq.In October last year, Iran and its sworn enemy Israel attacked each other directly for the first time.Israel struck military sites in Iran in response to an Iranian missile attack on October 1, itself launched in retaliation for the killing of Iran-backed militant leaders and a Revolutionary Guards commander.On Sunday, Iranian state television broadcast footage of the new missile during an interview with Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh."If we are attacked and war is waged against us, we will respond with force and will target their interests and their bases," Nasirzadeh said."We hold no animosity towards neighbouring states, but American bases are our targets," he said.The new missile was shown after Tehran and Washington held Oman-mediated talks on Iran's nuclear programme on three consecutive Saturdays from April 12.They were the highest level contacts since the United States withdrew in 2018 from a landmark agreement with world powers on Iran's nuclear programme.On Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in an interview with Fox News called on Iran to "walk away" from uranium enrichment, saying "the only countries in the world that enrich uranium are the ones that have nuclear weapons".On April 27, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a credible deal must "remove Iran's capacity to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons" and prevent the development of ballistic missiles.Tehran denies seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, insisting that its nuclear ambitions are entirely peaceful and for civilian purposes.It has ruled out discussions with Washington on its military and defence capabilities, including its ballistic missile programme.US President Donald Trump has threatened to attack Iran if diplomacy fails and has imposed additional sanctions targeting the country's oil sector.

Merz supports easing EU fiscal rules to boost defence spending by AFP Staff Writers.

Warsaw (AFP) May 7, 2025-Germany's new Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday said that Berlin supports relaxing strict EU fiscal rules to let member states ramp up defence spending as he sought to establish his European credentials on his first foreign visits.Less than a day after scrambling to get enough votes in parliament to secure his job, Merz visited France and Poland in a high profile start to his term when he will have the threat of the Ukraine war, transatlantic tensions and domestic worries over the far-right to tackle.In Paris, Merz said that he and France's President Emmanuel Macron had "agreed a new start for Europe", though he gave few details.The 69-year-old Christian Democrats head turned his attention to the European Union's military spending in Poland, a key ally of Ukraine in its war with Russia.Speaking at a press conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Merz pointed to recent changes to Germany's constitutional debt rules to largely exempt defence spending."We could imagine something similar for the European fiscal pact or fiscal rules," he said.- More bazookas -The continent has been looking to rearm following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and US President Donald Trump's changing stance on European security.In April, the European Commission said it would relax strict rules limiting public debt in order to allow states to spend up to 1.5 percent of national output on defence for four years.EU members are bound by spending rules obliging them to keep the public deficit below three percent of economic output and debt at 60 percent of GDP.But the EU can suspend the rules in exceptional circumstances and crises, as it did during the coronavirus pandemic when states had to prop up their embattled economies.Sixteen countries, including Germany, have said they want to make use of the exemption.Merz and his Social Democrat (SPD) coalition partners pushed the change to Germany's constitution through the parliament earlier this year, enabling a "bazooka" of borrowing to upgrade Germany's defence and infrastructure.Merz also said it was important for the EU "to produce more" of its own military equipment and to harmonise weapons systems across member states."We must make sure the European members of NATO, and the whole European Union, are able to defend themselves on a long-term basis," he said.Tusk in turn praised what he called a "new opening" for the countries' relations that could be "the most important in the history of German-Polish relations in more than 10 years."Tusk said Europe's external frontiers had to be strengthened to defend internal travel. Merz's government, which has seen the far-right seize on fears over migration, controversially announced on Wednesday that border guards would be told to push back most asylum seekers.Tusk said it was "in the interest" of Germany and Poland to maintain "free passage" between their countries and that more attention should be "concentrated on the protection of the external borders" of the European Union.In a new sign of EU leaders' desire to strengthen their standing, the French and Polish leaders will on Friday sign a new friendship alliance that will include security cooperation.

France, Germany say to cooperate more closely on defence.

Paris (AFP) May 7, 2025 - French President Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed Wednesday to ramp up security cooperation in the face of Russian threats, as the new German leader visited Paris on his first trip abroad.Europe is seeking to bolster its defences amid Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and doubts over US security commitments to Europe under President Donald Trump, though Merz insisted that any peace deal in Ukraine required an American commitment."We will set up a French-German defence and security council to meet regularly to bring operational responses to our common strategic challenges,' Macron said at their joint press conference.Merz, who became chancellor on Tuesday, is a committed European, transatlanticist and Ukraine supporter who has pledged to restore Germany's role on the world stage after half a year of paralysis."We will take joint measures to further enhance Europe's security and defence capabilities," Merz said, before heading to Poland later in the day.Berlin, like other European capitals, has been watching nervously as Trump seeks to push Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin into a quick agreement on ending the war, now in its fourth year.US-led mediation efforts have failed to stop the conflict, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month threatened to pull out of talks if there was not progress.Merz said the conflict in Ukraine could not end without the involvement of the United States."We cannot end this war in Ukraine without a continued involvement of the United States of America, this is not something that Europeans can substitute for," he said.- 'We need the Americans' -He said any ceasefire and security guarantees for Ukraine would also require US engagement.France and Britain have been spearheading discussions among a "coalition of the willing" of 30 countries on the potential deployment of troops to secure any ceasefire.But, Merz said, "at the same time we are aware that we will continue to need the Americans"."We want the Americans to remain onboard, and to meet their responsibilities within NATO and towards Ukraine," he said."President Trump has our full support when it comes to bringing about an end to the war," Merz added.He said European countries were ready to participate in any future monitoring of a ceasefire "under the leadership, and with the participation of, the United States".Merz also said he wanted to discuss nuclear "deterrence" on the European continent with France and Britain, Europe's only nuclear powers other than Russia."We will give our respective ministers the mandate to begin this discussion," Merz said, adding that any such arrangement would be "complementary to what we already have with our American partners within NATO".Macron said that strengthening "the European pillar of NATO" did not weaken the alliance."It is perfectly natural that all issues should be discussed, including nuclear deterrence, given our history and our specific characteristics," he said.- Putin 'finally serious?' -Macron also said he doubted Putin would respect a three-day truce in Ukraine that he ordered to start at midnight Wednesday, and wondered if the Russian leader was "serious" about a durable peace."Beyond the three days promised, which will undoubtedly not be respected, like the previous ones, is the Russian president finally serious?" Macron said."Will he finally decide to keep his word, especially the promises he made in his discussions with the US administration? That is what matters to us."Ukraine has dismissed the three-day ceasefire as a "game" designed to protect its World War II commemoration parade in Moscow rather than a genuine peace measure.The Kremlin was forced Wednesday to say it was taking "all necessary measures" to ensure the safety of foreign leaders set to attend its flagship May 9 parade after a wave of Ukrainian drone attacks closed airports across the country, disrupting hundreds of flights.Asked on Tuesday how Germany could seek to influence talks on a possible peace deal in the Ukraine war, Merz said there was a "proven format" of Berlin working with France and Britain.Merz said he would "consult intensively" with France and Britain, adding that "if we can include the Poles, then it will be even better".

Boris Pistorius, party soldier in charge of Germany's defence.

Berlin (AFP) May 6, 2025 - Germany's Defence Minister Boris Pistorius -- who has led the push to make the military "ready for war" so it doesn't have to fight one -- was the only cabinet member to survive the new government taking office.Hailed as a straight-talking politician, the Social Democrat has earned the respect of troops and voters for his efforts to strengthen the Bundeswehr, Germany's armed forces, and support Ukraine in its fight against Russia.That saved his seat at the cabinet table when conservative Friedrich Merz officially took over as chancellor Tuesday from Olaf Scholz of the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD).The SPD -- staying on as a junior partner to Merz's CDU/CSU alliance -- decided that Pistorius would remain in charge of Germany's defence ministry, a job he has held for over two years.Pistorius, 65, now has at his disposal an unprecedented budget to make the armed forces battle-ready in the face of sabre-rattling from Moscow and an uncertain future for the transatlantic alliance.The new government intends to borrow hundreds of billions of euros to upgrade the military after years of underinvestment in the post-Cold War era which has drawn the ire of US President Donald Trump.Pistorius took the job in January 2023, as Berlin stepped up arms shipments to Ukraine, making Germany the country's second biggest military backer after the United States.In a job that has derailed many politicians before him, he quickly became Germany's most popular politician according to opinion polls, a position he has maintained ever since.Under Pistorius, Berlin also decided to deploy a German brigade to Lithuania by 2027 to help strengthen NATO's eastern flank.- 'Red general' -Born in the northern city of Osnabrueck on March 14, 1960, Pistorius completed his own compulsory military service in the early 1980s.He went on to study law and work as an attorney before entering politics in the 1990s.He became mayor of his hometown and later interior minister of Lower Saxony state, where he gained a reputation for his work in renewing the police force and boosting it to combat extremism.When Pistorius became defence minister, Der Spiegel news magazine nicknamed him the "red general" for the colour of the centre left Social Democrats party and his hard-charging style."Pistorius is considered impatient, occasionally comes across as brash and can sometimes barely conceal it when he is annoyed with others," public broadcaster NDR wrote of him.As Scholz's unwieldy three-party government engaged in open bickering last year over fiscal and economic policy, Pistorius stayed above the fray.After Scholz's government came crashing down in November, some voices within the SPD begged Pistorius to take the helm to try to turn around its dire poll ratings.But Pistorius refused to make a move for the party crown and played the loyal soldier, backing Scholz.As the SPD went down to its worst defeat in history, with around 16 percent of the vote, Pistorius is now the last man standing from the old ministerial lineup.He has two daughters and was widowed in 2015 when his wife died of cancer. He remarried in December 2023 to academic Julia Schwanholz.

Philippines slams 'high-risk' Chinese naval actions near contested reef-by AFP Staff Writers.

Manila (AFP) May 8, 2025-The Philippines criticised on Thursday a "high-risk" manoeuvre by a Chinese vessel near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in a rare incident involving warships from the two navies.The Scarborough Shoal -- a triangular chain of reefs and rocks in the contested South China Sea -- has been a flashpoint between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012.Monday's encounter took place "approximately 11.8 nautical miles southeast" of the Scarborough Shoal, the military said, during ongoing US-Philippine military exercises that Beijing has slammed as destabilising."The Chinese frigate BN 554 was documented tailing PS35 (BRP Emilio Jacinto) at close range, while BN 573 dangerously crossed its bow in a high-risk maneuver that created the danger of collision," the military said in a statement, labelling the incident "threatening and provocative".China in response accused Manila of sending a ship to "intrude" into its territorial waters.Its military said it had sent "naval and air forces to track, monitor, warn and drive away the Philippine boat in accordance with laws and regulations"."The relevant remarks of the Philippines side disregarded the facts, confused the public, and attempted to mislead international cognition," said Colonel Tian Junli, spokesperson of the Chinese military's Southern Theater Command.Philippines Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad told AFP the last such encounter between warships from the two navies he could remember was on a resupply mission in the South China Sea two years ago.Alexander Lopez of Manila's National Maritime Council said the Chinese vessel had been "dangerously close" to its Philippine counterpart.The ship crossing the bow of the BRP Emilio Jacinto had come within about 180 metres (590 feet), he told AFP, leaving "no room for any manoeuvre, for any emergency cases".The Chinese vessel following alongside had been less than 100 metres away, he said.China and the Philippines have engaged in months of confrontations in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims in nearly its entirety despite an international ruling its assertion has no merit.A Filipino sailor lost a thumb last June when Chinese coast guard members wielding knives, sticks and an axe foiled a Philippine Navy attempt to resupply its troops stationed on the Second Thomas Shoal.The joint US-Philippine exercises known as Balikatan, which this year were to simulate a "full-scale battle scenario", are set to end Friday.

Warship sinks before it can be sunk in US-Philippine drills.

Manila (AFP) May 5, 2025 - The BRP Miguel Malvar, old enough to have seen action in World War II, was scheduled to go out in a blaze of glory Monday, as a target ship during the annual US-Philippine "Balikatan" military exercises.The 80-year-old vessel, however, would not quite make its own funeral.Onlookers instead watched as the ship, which once chased Japanese submarines and ferried German prisoners as part of the US fleet, sank before the first volley could be fired."The Balikatan 25 maritime strike targets vessel sank off the west coast of the Philippines prior to the event commencing today," Philippine Navy spokesman John Percie Alcos said in cancelling a planned media event."Due to rough sea conditions ... and with its long service life... she took on a significant amount of water and eventually sank," he saidPraising it as one of the most-decorated ships in Philippine history, Alcos added the country was proud to be "transitioning to a new and multi-capable navy".After more than 20 years of service, the vessel -- then named USS Brattleboro -- was sold to the Republic of Vietnam in 1966.The Philippine Navy acquired and refurbished the ship after its crew fled Vietnam following the 1975 fall of Saigon.Balikatan, three weeks of US-Philippine joint exercises aimed at deterring Beijing's ambitions in the disputed South China Sea, is set to end Friday.

Second plane falls off US aircraft carrier in 10 days By W.G. DUNLOP.

Washington (AFP) May 7, 2025-A US warplane plummeted into the Red Sea when trying to land on the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, a defense official said Wednesday, the second jet lost from the ship in just over a week.The F/A-18F Super Hornet -- which cost about $67 million -- went overboard Tuesday due to a failure in the procedure for aircraft to catch a wire with a hook to help them stop after landing."The arrestment failed, causing the aircraft to go overboard," the defense official said."Both aviators safely ejected and were rescued," the official said, adding that they had minor injuries.It is the second F/A-18 operating off the Truman to be lost in recent days.On April 28, a similar F/A-18E fell off the carrier when the crew that was towing it in the hanger lost control of the plane.One sailor sustained a minor injury in that incident, which also saw a tow tractor lost overboard.Late last year, another F/A-18 operating off the Truman was lost after it was mistakenly shot down by the USS Gettysburg guided missile cruiser. Both pilots survived that incident.And in February, the Truman itself suffered damage when it collided with a merchant vessel in the Mediterranean Sea near Egypt's Port Said.- Yemen ceasefire -In addition to the lost warplanes and damage, a US official said last week that seven MQ-9 Reaper drones -- which cost around $30 million apiece -- had been lost in the Yemen area since March 15.The Truman is one of two US aircraft carriers operating in the Middle East, where US forces have been hammering Yemen's Huthi rebels with strikes since mid-March.The Iran-backed Huthis began attacking merchant vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in late 2023, claiming solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, which has been devastated by the Israeli military following a shock Hamas attack in October of that year.The United States started targeting the Huthis in 2024 under Joe Biden, and President Donald Trump's administration on March 15 launched a new wave of near-daily strikes.On Tuesday, Trump said that the Huthis had agreed to stop their attacks and that Washington would in turn halt strikes on the rebels, which have left 300 people dead, according to an AFP tally of Huthi figures."They say they will not be blowing up ships anymore," the US president said, before mediator Oman said the two sides had agreed a ceasefire.

Russia, China slam Trump's plan for 'Iron Dome' missile shield.

Moscow, May 8 (AFP) May 08, 2025-Russia and China on Thursday slammed US President Donald Trump's plan for an Iron Dome-like missile defence system as "deeply destabilising", saying it risked turning space into a "battlefield".Trump ordered an "Iron Dome for America" shortly after his inauguration in January, a programme to counter ballistic and hypersonic missile threats.The plan revives parts of a controversial Reagan-era plan nicknamed "Star Wars" that would have placed missile interceptors in space."The recently announced large-scale 'Golden (Iron) Dome for America' programme is also deeply destabilising," Russia and China said in a statement published by the Kremlin after talks between presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping in Moscow.The plan "explicitly provides for a significant strengthening of the arsenal for conducting combat operations in space", it added.The two countries said they would start talks on preventing the deployment of arms in space and would "counter policies and activities aimed at achieving military supremacy and formalising the use of space as a battlefield".Trump's proposal, which the US president has also called the "Golden Dome", refers to a highly successful system employed by Israel to down short-range rockets.Washington faces various missile threats from adversaries, but they differ significantly from the short-range weapons that Israel's Iron Dome is designed to counter.Russia, which commands the world's largest nuclear arsenal, last year unveiled a new hypersonic missile known as "Oreshnik", a weapon experts believe flies at 10 times the speed of sound.Beijing has been closing the gap with Washington when it comes to ballistic and hypersonic missile technology, according to the US National Defence Strategy released in 2022.Russia and the US have traded accusations of weaponising space in recent years.

At UN, US slams Russia for 'cynically' protecting N.Korea.

United Nations, United States, May 8 (AFP) May 08, 2025-The United States on Wednesday denounced Russia for "cynically obstructing" the monitoring of North Korea's compliance with UN sanctions, saying Moscow was trying to dodge criticism for using Pyongyang's weapons in its war with Ukraine.Several Security Council members, including the United States and South Korea, convened a meeting on the issue to heighten awareness of Moscow's potential sanctions-busting actions, the interim US envoy said."Today's briefing shows the Council will continue to ensure member states are aware of sanctions violations and evasion activity that generate revenue" for North Korea's "unlawful" weapons programs "despite Russia's veto," said the envoy, Dorothy Shea.In March 2024, by vetoing a Security Council resolution, Russia effectively ended the system in place to monitor Pyongyang's compliance with UN sanctions first implemented in 2006 and subsequently strengthened several times.The committee responsible for that monitoring no longer exists."The DPRK continues brazenly to violate the Council's resolutions by exporting coal and iron ore to China, the proceeds of which directly fund its unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs," Shea said, using an acronym for North Korea's official name.The US envoy said that since September 2023, North Korea has transferred "over 24,000 containers of munitions and munitions-related material, and well over 100 ballistic missiles to Russia for use against Ukraine.""It is clear from evidence presented today that Russia is cynically obstructing the Council on DPRK sanctions implementation in order to try to escape reproach for its own violations."South Korean Ambassador Joonkook Hwang agreed, denouncing the "illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea.""As Pyongyang's actions clearly and continuously defy the Council's decisions, the Council should consider strengthening existing sanctions, not weakening them," he said.In May 2022, Russia and China vetoed a resolution imposing new sanctions against Pyongyang, and have advocated for easing sanctions since 2019.The current sanctions on North Korea have no end date.

Amnesty says UAE supplying Sudan paramilitaries with Chinese weapons.

Port Sudan, May 8 (AFP) May 08, 2025-Chinese-made weapons supplied by the United Arab Emirates have been identified with Sudan's paramilitaries, Amnesty International said Thursday, as drone attacks prompted civilians to flee the army-held aid hub of Port Sudan.The Britain-based watchdog said that its research had detailed the use by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces of sophisticated Chinese-made artillery and guided bombs in its war with the regular army, now in its third year.Abu Dhabi has repeatedly denied arming the RSF, despite reports from UN experts, US politicians and international organisations.Amnesty said its research was based on weapons used by the RSF in operations in the western region Darfur and during its loss of the capital Khartoum in March.It did not say anything about the long-range drones used by the paramilitaries to attack army-controlled cities in the east and south in recent days."Sophisticated Chinese weaponry, re-exported by the United Arab Emirates, has been captured in Khartoum, as well as used in Darfur in a blatant breach of the existing UN arms embargo," Amnesty said.It said it identified "Chinese GB50A guided bombs and 155mm AH-4 howitzers" through analysis of video footage and photos of RSF attacks.It said "the only country in the world that has imported AH-4 howitzers from China is the UAE" in a 2019 deal, relying on data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.- Long-range drone strikes -Amnesty's report came as the RSF pressed its long-range drone attacks on army-held cities.On Thursday morning, drones targeted the country's main naval base just north of Port Sudan, seat of the army-backed government, as well as fuel depots in the southern city of Kosti, two sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity.Later in the day, anti-aircraft fire also intercepted three drones that targeted the city of Tendelti, 92 kilometres to Kosti's west, a military source told AFP."The militia launched another drone attack on the Flamingo Naval Base north of Port Sudan," one source told AFP on condition of anonymity, referring to the RSF.He said air defences had shot down 15 drones overnight.Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast had been regarded as a safe haven, hosting United Nations offices and hundreds of thousands of displaced people, until drone strikes blamed on the RSF began on Sunday.The port city is the main entry point for humanitarian aid into hunger-stricken Sudan, and UN chief Antonio Guterres warned the attacks "threaten to increase humanitarian needs and further complicate aid operations", his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.More than two years of war have killed tens of thousands of people and uprooted 13 million, according to UN figures.On Tuesday, the army-backed government severed ties with the UAE, accusing it of supplying the RSF with the advanced weapons systems it has used to strike Port Sudan.The UAE denied the allegation, adding that the internationally recognised administration "does not represent the legitimate government of Sudan".In response, the Sudanese army-aligned foreign ministry on Thursday called the UAE's reaction "pathetic and ridiculous".The ministry said it showed "strange disregard" for international laws and norms governing relations between states.- 'No choice but to leave' -Since losing nearly all of greater Khartoum to the army in March, the RSF has ramped up their use of long-range drones.The strikes on Port Sudan have hit key facilities including the country's last functioning international airport, its largest working fuel depot and the city's main power station.At Port Sudan's bustling main bus station, civilians were scrambling to leave."You can't get a ticket without booking over a day in advance now, all the buses are booked," said bus company employee Mahmoud Hussein.Among those fleeing was Haidar Ibrahim, preparing to travel south with his family."The smoke is everywhere and my wife suffers from asthma," he told AFP. "We have no choice but to leave."Many of those who had sought refuge in Port Sudan have been displaced multiple times.The war has effectively split the country in two, with the army holding the north, east and centre, and the RSF in control of most of Darfur and parts of the south.

Lebanon state media say series of Israeli strikes hit south.

Beirut, Lebanon, May 8 (AFP) May 08, 2025-Lebanese official media said Israel conducted heavy air strikes on the south on Thursday, the latest raids despite a fragile November ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.The state-run National News Agency (NNA) said "Israeli warplanes carried out a wide-scale aerial aggression on the Nabatiyeh region, launching a series of heavy raids in two waves" targeting hills and valleys in the area, located around 12 kilometres (seven miles) from the border.It said "huge explosions... echoed in most areas of Nabatiyeh and the south", causing "terror and panic" among residents, who rushed to pick up their children from school, as ambulances headed to the targeted areas.An AFP photographer saw smoke rising from hills in the region."We heard a loud strike, about 10 consecutive blows," said Jamal Sabbagh, a 29-year-old doctor who was giving schoolchildren health checks near the city of Nabatiyeh."Some of the children were scared and there was panic, the teachers were also frightened," he told AFP.The raids come a day after an Israeli strike killed a commander from Palestinian militant group Hamas in the southern city of Sidon.Israel has continued to launch regular strikes in Lebanon despite the November 27 truce which sought to halt more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah including two months of full-blown war.Under the deal, Hezbollah was to pull back its fighters north of Lebanon's Litani River, some 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the Israeli border, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure to its south.Israel was to withdraw all its forces from Lebanon, but it has kept troops in five areas that it deems "strategic".Hezbollah, long a dominant force in Lebanon, was weakened in its latest war with its arch-foe, which also saw an Israeli ground incursion and a slew of the group's senior commanders killed, including longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah.Lebanon says it has respected its ceasefire commitments and has called on the international community to pressure Israel to end its attacks and withdraw all its troops.Lebanese authorities have vowed to implement a state monopoly on bearing arms, though President Joseph Aoun has said disarming Hezbollah is a "delicate" matter that requires dialogue.The November truce was based on a UN Security Council resolution that says Lebanese troops and United Nations peacekeepers should be the only forces in south Lebanon, and calls for the disarmament of all non-state groups.

IDF kills Hamas's rocket production commander in the Gaza Strip-Jumaa was killed in the Deir el-Balah area in central Gaza, and was central in the terrorist organization's production of rockets.By JERUSALEM POST STAFF-MAY 8, 2025 17:40

The IDF killed Nasr Sobhi Ibrahim Jumaa on Wednesday, who was a commander in Hamas's rocket production headquarters, the military announced on Thursday.Jumaa was killed in the Deir el-Balah area in central Gaza, and was central in the terrorist organization's rockets production, the IDF added.The Israeli military stressed that steps were taken to minimize any and all harm to Gazan civilians in the vicinity, which were done with aerial surveillance, IDF intelligence, and munitions.The military also said that 150 terror targets in the Gaza Strip were targeted in the past three days, which included Hamas terror cells and their underground infrastructures.Prior to Jumaa's death, an IAF aircraft killed several Hamas terrorists who tried planting an explosive device that would have targeted IDF soldiers, the military statement added.The aircraft also struck a weapons depot where several Hamas operatives were located and had fired on Israeli forces in the vicinity.IDF continues strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon-The IDF also struck Hezbollah terror infrastructure in southern Lebanon, including a network of tunnels, on Thursday.The IDF struck Hezbollah terrorists, weapons, and tunnel shafts, which were part of a significant underground project that, due to IDF strikes, has been rendered inoperable. The military said that these sites are in direct violation of the understanding between Lebanon and Israel.

Two wars for a promise of peace: The JCFA battle to ensure a brighter future for the Middle East-"We have to move from explaining and defending to exposing and attacking," says Dan Diker, JCFA president-By RONNIE ROSENMAN, IN COLLABORATION WITH JCFA-MAY 8, 2025 17:09

As Israel enters into what could be the most complex stage of its conflict with Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran and its regional allies, Dan Diker, president of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, warns that Israel is engaged not merely in military actions but in a "ght for its very existence.According to Diker, Israel stands at a critical juncture that pertains not only to its regional diplomacy but also to what he refers to as a global battle for influence that will shape the trajectory of Israel’s future and that of Western civilization.In a recent interview, Diker noted that his “do tank” is dedicated to “bolstering Israel’s security by spearheading its diplomatic efforts and linking Middle Eastern partners and allies with allies in the West.” Following the Abraham Accords in 2020, Diker notes that the center has acted as a “bridge between the Arab Muslim majority Middle East and the West” by cultivating discreet connections with Arab nations that “seek a safe space in Israel, beyond governmental constraints, to exchange ideas, formulate strategies, express themselves openly, and consult with us.“Our role is to present Israel con"dently as an indigenous member of the region who understands Arabic language and political culture and at the same time, [draws on] strong American political, cultural, and diplomatic expertise,”he explains.“It is extraordinary to watch what happens when Israel presents itself in Arabic as it truly is, which is a Middle Eastern country.” That Middle Eastern identity, he argues, counters “the false, propagandistic, subversive, decades-long narrative” portraying Israel as a Western colonialist implant. “No, we’re the most indigenous member of the Arab Muslim Middle East today,” Diker says. “And they are beginning to not only understand it but accept it – and embrace it.”HOWEVER, ALONGSIDE growing ties with the region, Diker believes that Israel faces a grave challenge from global campaigns to delegitimize the Jewish state and the Jewish people – a campaign he calls “the war of October 8.” “There are seven fronts,” he explains: “Hamas in Gaza and Judea and Samaria; Hezbollah in Lebanon; the Houthis in Yemen; Iranian-backed militias in Syria and Iraq; and the Iranian regime itself. Add to that an eighth front – the political psychological, diplomatic, and legal warfare being waged against Israel in the West.”That eighth front, Diker says, is no less dangerous than the rockets flying out of Gaza, Lebanon, and Yemen. In a deeply polarized media environment in the West, he warns that Israel is losing the battle for public opinion,especially among younger Americans, who have grown up “without a historical understanding ofthe Jewish state’s struggle for survival.”“These are essentially two wars taking place simultaneously,” JCFA’s president explains. “The military waron the ground… and we are making great progress… However, the military war is connected to another war: the war of perception or the war of strategic influence. We are also winning that war in the Middle East – but we’re losing that war in the free world.”FOR DIKER, this isn’t just about Israel: It’s a broader civilizational battle. “When you see thousands of students on hundreds of university campuses in kefiyas… this is a reinvigoration, and even a reincarnation of Che Guevara and the revolution of the Marxist, Leninist moment,” he says. “It’s not only about the Jews: It’s about America and the West. It’s about destroying and remaking America in the image of the Communist Party – and even using Nazi ideology, which is what also underpins Islamist Hamas.”To win this war of Influence, Diker calls for a strategic overhaul of Israel’s public diplomacy. “We have to move from what we know as hasbara and defending to exposing and attacking” he asserts. “We need to be exposing and calling out Hamas, the PLO, PA, Hezbollah, and Iranian enemies every moment of every day… This is high-intensity cognitive warfare.”Citing Arab political historian and political theorist Ibn Khaldun, the center’s president invokes theconcept of al-faris al-Asil – “the strong horse” – as the key to influence in the Middle East. “Israel todayis perceived as a strong horse in the Middle East,” he says.“But to be the strong horse… does not mean we’re winning the larger war for strategic influence in the West.” Diker voices significant concern over hostile narratives rooted in extremist ideologies from the Middle East that have infiltrated and co-opted the messaging of various Western institutions, including some Jewish organizations. “There are Jewish groups that have been refashioned as ‘useful idiots’ by these extremist ideologs,” he states.“These groups are working in the name of what they call human rights, actually adopting the PLO and Hamas line of propaganda to undermine and uproot Israel in the international community,” he further emphasizes. Diker believes that this troubling alignment with anti-Israel rhetoric not only distorts the facts on the ground but also legitimizes a campaign of delegitimization against the Jewish state and the Jewish people in global forums.He specifically mentions groups like IfNotNow and J Street, accusing them of fostering a distorted moral discourse that ultimately damages young Jews’ comprehension of Israel’s complex security situation and it’s historical and legal rights.“These groups,” he remarks, “have done a great disservice to young Jews by obsessively condemning Israel… in ways that are divorced from fact and inconsistent with Israel’s own strict adherence to international law.” By consistently defaming Israel while ignoring or justifying the extremism and even genocidal violence of its adversaries, Diker argues that such organizations aid those who are intent on Israel’s annihilation.ON A broader scale, Diker warns that the decline and even self-destruction of moral clarity in the West threatens not just Israel but also Jews in the Diaspora. “The enemies of Israel regard anyone who is sympathetic to or associated with Israel as an enemy, unless they disown Israel,” he remarks, “and this is a significant trap.”He adds that Jews abroad may increasingly face antisemitic hostility, regardless of their political views, simply because of their connection to Israel. To combat this trend, the JCFA leader calls for a united front among Israel’s allies – both Jewish and non-Jewish – who are committed to truth, justice, and democratic values.“We and the West must uphold moral clarity for the West,” he insists. “We need to overcome this challenge, for our future and for the future of Western civilization.” “Unite for freedom and liberty,” Diker concludes: “Unite for moral clarity to overcome the forces of evil. This is a struggle between good and evil; this is a battle between civilization and barbarism.”For Diker, the stakes are not merely national but civilizational; only through unity and moral courage, he stresses, can the free world resist the tide of radicalism and emerge stronger, more secure, proud, and prosperous. “That’s a monumental challenge worth  fighting to win,” he says. This article was written in collaboration with JCFA.

UN, international aid orgs push back against Israel's new Gaza aid plan - exclusive-Israel's new aid system for the Gaza Strip would allow direct delivery to families, but Western diplomats told The Jerusalem Post that aid organizations have some non-starters.By AMICHAI STEIN-MAY 8, 2025 16:00

Some international aid organizations have sent a clear message to Israel: they will not cooperate with the new humanitarian aid plan unless several changes are made. This was reported to The Jerusalem Post by two Western diplomats familiar with the details of the discussions.This week, Israel’s Security Cabinet approved a new plan for distributing humanitarian aid when it is determined that the aid stockpiled in the Gaza Strip over the past few months has run out. Under the new plan, aid will be distributed directly to families at centers located in the southern part of the Gaza Strip in areas fully controlled by the IDF. This marks a shift from the previous method in which aid was delivered by trucks entering various areas of Gaza, a system that allowed Hamas to loot the supplies.The same organizations that previously delivered aid to Gaza are expected to supply the incoming food. However, two Western diplomats told the Post that some of these organizations would not cooperate with the initiative if Israel implemented a list that restricted certain individuals from receiving aid. The new system aims to deliver the aid directly to families.A Western diplomat familiar with the discussions told the Post that the aid organizations were not necessarily against the distribution system Israel had proposed. "It’s not necessarily that the organizations oppose a new distribution model, as Israel proposes, but they are not willing to accept a system in which the IDF and the Israeli security apparatus decide who receives aid and who doesn’t."The Israeli concept behind the aid distribution list is that "It will establish an area in southern Gaza with aid centers and only allow those who are not Hamas members or identified with Hamas to enter."But the organizations say that anyone not in this area—either because they didn’t pass the IDF’s screening at checkpoints to reach the southern zone or chose to remain in northern/central Gaza—will not receive aid. "This is unacceptable", the organizations say.Even one of the world’s largest humanitarian organizations, World Central Kitchen, which previously operated in Gaza, has made it clear that it will refuse to cooperate with the plan, according to another Western diplomat.The Post reported on Wednesday that Israel and the US held meetings with UN representatives in an attempt to persuade them to join the framework. Officials from COGAT (Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories) have recently met with UN representatives. On Wednesday, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff briefed the UN Security Council on the issue.According to a source familiar with the matter, the US even threatened to cut its UN funding if the organization refused to cooperate with the new plan."This is not a matter of funding," a senior UN official told the Post. "We will not participate in a humanitarian aid distribution system that violates our core principles."

At least 21 hostages alive, authorities concerned about status of three add'l hostages, source says-All relevant information in the possession of the IDF’s Missing Persons Unit is passed on to the hostage's family by an intelligence officer.By AMICHAI STEIN, JERUSALEM POST STAFF-MAY 8, 2025 14:09

At least 21 hostages are alive, and three more are considered living although there are serious concerns for their lives, an Israeli source familiar with the details told The Jerusalem Post Thursday.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday shared the same figures in a video shared on the prime minister's official social media.The previous day, US President Donald Trump said that three hostages had died in captivity. “They said that only 24 are living, and I now correct... I say 21 because as of today, it’s 21. Three have died. So this, this is a terrible situation,” Trump told reporters at a press conference.The three include one Israeli and two foreign nationals. There have been no signs of life from them since shortly after October 7. Their families have been updated on the situation since then.Hamas is holding 59 hostages. Thirty-five of them have been officially confirmed deceased. Thirty-two of them are Israelis, and three are foreign nationals.Contact with hostage families-The families of the hostages are continuously and thoroughly updated about the condition of their loved ones.All relevant information in the possession of the IDF’s Missing Persons Unit is passed on to the hostage's family by an intelligence officer who works regularly with the family.Hostage families are routinely invited to briefings by the Prisoners and Missing Persons Division, and military liaison officers and representatives from the Hostage, Missing and Returned Persons Directorate work with them in the civilian domain.Contact with the families of the foreign hostages is maintained continuously through the relevant embassies. Israel supports their families in the same way that Israeli hostage families are supported.

IDF strikes Hezbollah tunnel network in southern Lebanon-Lebanon and Hezbollah had agreed to a ceasefire in November, which halted the fighting and mandated that southern Lebanon be free of Hezbollah fighters and weapons.By JERUSALEM POST STAFF, REUTERS-MAY 8, 2025 11:46

The IDF struck Hezbollah terror infrastructure in southern Lebanon, including a network of tunnels, the IDF confirmed Thursday afternoon. The IDF struck Hezbollah terrorists, weapons, and tunnel shafts, which were part of a significant underground project that, due to IDF strikes, has been rendered inoperable. The military said that these sites are in direct violation of the understanding between Lebanon and Israel.Israel conducted 14 strikes in the Nabatieh area, two Lebanese security sources told Reuters, in one of Israel's most intense bombardments since a ceasefire brokered by the US in November.On Tuesday, the IDF said that Hezbollah's Bader Unit commander, terrorist Adnan Muhammad Sadiq Harb, was killed by an Israeli air force strike in the same area.As part of his role, he advanced the rehabilitation of Hezbollah's terrorist capabilities and assisted in efforts to rehabilitate terrorist infrastructure south of the Litani River. He also transferred weapons to different Hezbollah units across Lebanese territory.In April, Israel struck a southern Beirut building that it said it was being used to store precision missiles belonging to the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.Ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon-Lebanon and Hezbollah had agreed to a ceasefire in November, which halted the fighting and mandated that southern Lebanon be free of Hezbollah fighters and weapons.

Iran hails Houthi missile strike on Ben-Gurion Airport as major victory, expert says-According to Sabti, “In the past two days, Iranian media outlets have been saturated with this ‘success story.’By PELED ARBELI-MAY 8, 2025 10:33

Iranian media has hailed the recent Houthi missile strike on Ben-Gurion Airport as a major victory, according to Beni Sabti, a senior researcher in the Iran Program at the Institute for National Security Studies.“In the past two days since the Houthi missile struck Ben-Gurion Airport, the Iranians have been beside themselves,” Sabti said.“They are overjoyed and deeply satisfied with what they view as a major and meaningful success. From their perspective, this is a significant achievement — their proxy succeeded using their own missile and technology. It’s a tremendous victory in their eyes.”According to Sabti, “In the past two days, Iranian media outlets have been saturated with this ‘success story.’ "No one reported on the airstrikes in Yemen — and if they did, it was in just a few lines, without photos or color. They effectively erased everything Israel tried to showcase. They’re not broadcasting it because, from their point of view, the strike on the airport was such a significant success that it outweighs any bombing or suffering inflicted on the Houthis. "As we know, the Iranians prefer to fight using others’ blood, so they have no problem with the Houthis being attacked,” Sabti noted.Potential US-Yemen ceasefire-Beyond the military aspect, Sabti pointed to unexpected political gratification stemming from former US President Donald Trump’s remarks about a potential ceasefire in Yemen.“The second reason for their great joy is the positive messaging coming from President Trump — both toward them and regarding the Houthis,” he said. “His comments about a ceasefire caught Israel completely by surprise. Iranian commentators said Israel had been ‘thrown under the bus,’ which is very painful.”Sabti added: “Just as they once tried to use Trump to divide the US and Europe, now they see him as advocating for Iran against Israel. They believe he is restraining us, neutralizing us, and surprising us. In their view, Trump has become a tool in Iran’s hands.”He noted that while this dynamic may shift if Trump changes his tone or policy, Tehran is currently enjoying the momentum.Sabti warned of the broader psychological impact on the Iranian regime.“When the Iranians feel that everything is going their way, it empowers them in ways that transcend military capability,” he said. “It’s psychological, even spiritual. Senior officials begin to believe they can endure, that the danger has passed, and that the regime is no longer under threat. And that, for them, is the most important thing.”

Israel's Fire and Rescue Authority bans igniting fires in open areas for ten days-The Fire and Rescue Authority statement comes just over a week after the major fires that broke out at the Judean Hills.By JERUSALEM POST STAFF-MAY 8, 2025 11:40

The Fire and Rescue Authority issued an order banning the ignition of fires in open areas for ten days due to extreme weather, the authority said on Thursday."It is important to note that the weather in the coming days is expected to be hot and dry, with conditions that increase the likelihood of fires, especially in open areas, forests, and groves," the statement read. "No fires should be ignited in open areas, including technical work that creates sparks or open flames in open spaces, as well as the burning of plants and vegetation."Ban issued a week after the wildfires in JerusalemThe Fire and Rescue Authority statement comes just over a week after the major fires that broke out at the Judean Hills, which are thought to have burned through approximately 20,000 dunams and caused Highway 1 in Jerusalem to be closed to traffic.Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar made an appeal for international assistance from countries Greece, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, and Bulgaria.State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday,  emphasizing the urgent need to address shortcomings in Israel's firefighting system in preparation for emergencies. This request is particularly critical given the expected heatwave and the upcoming Lag BaOmer holiday next week.In his letter, Englman stated that during last week's fire, "we were on the brink of a disaster with dozens of casualties, which could have been more severe than the 2010 Carmel fire." He based this assessment on preliminary reports of the firefighting system's handling of the situation, which included the rescue of more than 100 vehicles and buses on Highway 1. Englman stressed that this "near disaster" should be analyzed and treated as if the disaster had already occurred.Eli Beer, president of the United Hatzalah emergency response organization, told The Media Line that he believes the major fires to be "a terror attack on Israel." Several individuals from east Jerusalem have been arrested by Israeli police on suspicion of attempting to ignite fires in the area.Last week's fires in Jerusalem have made the Israeli capital's air quality among the worst in the world, according to IQAir.A few days later, a fire broke out Saturday afternoon in the Modi'in forest, with five firefighting teams being called to the scene.Felice Freidson/The Media Line and Leah Schwartz/The Media Line contributed to this report.

IDF begins operating portable medical facility in Syria's South-The facility is part of several efforts taken by the IDF to support the Syrian-Druze population and maintain their security. By JERUSALEM POST STAFF-MAY 8, 2025 10:27

The IDF began operating a portable medical facility to treat Syrian Druze in Syria's South, the military said on Thursday. The facility is part of several efforts taken by the IDF to support the Syrian-Druze population and maintain their security. Syria's Druze have recently come under attack by the country's Islamists, leading to dozens of deaths and urgent calls for intervention.Israeli Druze have demonstrated in support of Israel playing a larger role in maintaining safety and security for the Druze population in Syria. Israel strikes Syria -In April, the IDF struck a Syrian extremist group that was planning to attack the Druze community in As-Suweida.“Israel will not allow harm to come to the Druze community in Syria, out of a deep commitment to our Druze brothers in Israel, who are tied by family and historical bonds to their Druze brothers in Syria,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said following the strike.  

Benny Gantz: 'No need to renew settlement in Gaza,' settlements needed in West Bank-Gantz also added that "important settlements need to happen in the West Bank, in the North and the South.”By JERUSALEM POST STAFF-MAY 8, 2025 09:58

There is no need to renew settlements in Gaza, National Unity Party chairman Benny Gantz told Army Radio on Thursday. He added that "important settlements need to happen in the West Bank, in the North and the South.”On Tuesday, the party leader had voiced opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state, and added that anyone talking about such an idea is "disconnected from reality.""Israel cannot allow a direct and significant threat to its citizens on any border," he elaborated, and insisted that the IDF must retain security control and operational freedom in Gaza, the West Bank, southern Lebanon, and along the Syrian frontier.Gantz speaking on Israel's security and democratic values-Earlier this week, Gantz wrote on X/Twitter that any and all delays in deciding to form a probe into the events of the October 7 massacre threaten Israel’s security, which he said shortly after the government decided against launching a state commission of inquiry into the attacks.Last month, he had called on Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara to examine the necessity of putting The Jerusalem Post's editor-in-chief, Zvika Klein, under house arrest, and called on her to “thoroughly examine the necessity of the house arrest of the Post’s editor.. The potential harm to freedom of the press, which is a fundamental value in democracy, must be taken into account in decision-making.”

US discussing Gaza aid distribution with Arab countries, sources tell 'Post' - exclusive-According to the diplomats, it is still unclear which countries would join the project if it moves forward.By AMICHAI STEIN-MAY 8, 2025 09:06

The Trump administration has held talks in recent days with Arab countries to promote a humanitarian aid distribution project in the Gaza Strip, two Western diplomats told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.According to the diplomats, it is still unclear which countries would join the project if it moves forward.Israel, along with COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories), has also held discussions on the matter with Arab states, according to the same sources.The talks between the administration and Arab countries also included the possibility of establishing a governance mechanism for the Strip, intended to manage civilian life in Gaza.On Wednesday, Israeli and Western diplomats told the Post that Israel and the US were trying to persuade the United Nations to participate in a new humanitarian aid distribution plan for Gaza that is currently being developed.New distribution plan-During a cabinet meeting this week, a new plan for distributing humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip was approved.The plan involves establishing distribution centers in specific areas that will be under the IDF’s control. Aid will be distributed directly to individual families, rather than through truck convoys as was previously done – a method that often resulted in the aid falling into the hands of Hamas.

Katz: What Israel did to Hezbollah, it will do to regime in Tehran-To the Iranian leadership that "funds, arms, and operates the Houthi terrorist organization: the era of proxies is over, and the axis of evil has collapsed."By JERUSALEM POST STAFF, REUTERS-MAY 8, 2025 07:14

What Israel did to Hezbollah in Beirut, it will do to the Iranian regime in Tehran, Defense Minister Israel Katz warned on Thursday morning. "The Houthis will suffer heavy blows from Israel if they continue to fire at us," Katz added. He warned the "Iranian leadership that funds, arms, and operates the Houthi terrorist organization: the era of proxies is over, and the axis of evil has collapsed."You bear direct responsibility. What we did to Hezbollah in Beirut, to Hamas in Gaza, to Assad in Damascus, and to the Houthis in Yemen—we will do to you in Tehran."US bombing of Houthi targets in Yemen-US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that the US would stop bombing the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen, saying that the group had agreed to stop attacking US ships.A ceasefire deal between Yemen's Houthis and the US does not include sparing Israel, the Houthis said on Wednesday, later saying they targeted Israel with drones.