The Prophecy is much more than seeing into the future. For the Prophecy sees without the element of time. For the Prophecy sees what is, what was, and what always shall be. 11:11 LLC
said Randall Jibson, USGS scientist and lead author of this study. “Not every earthquake will trigger landslides, but we can use landslide distributions to estimate characteristics of earthquake energy and how far regional ground shaking could occur.”
“Scientists are confirming with empirical data what more than 50 million people in the eastern U.S. experienced firsthand: this was one powerful earthquake,” said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. “Calibrating the distance over which landslides occur may also help us reach back into the geologic record to look for evidence of past history of major earthquakes from the Virginia seismic zone.”
This study will help inform earthquake hazard and risk assessments as well as emergency preparedness, whether for landslides or other earthquake effects.
“What makes this new study so unique is that it provides direct observational evidence from the largest earthquake to occur in more than 100 years in the eastern U.S,” said Jibson. “Now that we know more about the power of East Coast earthquakes, equations that predict ground shaking might need to be revised.”
It is estimated that approximately one-third of the U.S. population could have felt last year’s earthquake in Virginia, more than any earthquake in U.S. history.
About 148,000 people reported their ground-shaking experiences caused by the earthquake on the USGS “Did You Feel It?” website. Shaking reports came from southeastern Canada to Florida and as far west as Texas.
In addition to the great landslide distances recorded, the landslides from the 2011 Virginia earthquake occurred in an area 20 times larger than expected from studies of worldwide earthquakes. Scientists plotted the landslide locations that were farthest out and then calculated the area enclosed by those landslides. The observed landslides from last year’s Virginia earthquake enclose an area of about 33,400 km2
, while previous studies indicated an expected area of about 1,500 km2
from an earthquake of similar magnitude.
“The landslide distances from last year’s Virginia earthquake are remarkable compared to historical landslides across the world and represent the largest distance limit ever recorded,” said Edwin Harp, USGS scientist and co-author of this study. “There are limitations to our research, but the bottom line is that we now have a better understanding of the power of East Coast earthquakes and potential damage scenarios.”
Tokyo — China’s growing assertiveness and collaboration with Russia poses a threat not only to Asia but also to Europe, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday as he sought stronger cooperation and more “friends” for NATO in the Indo-Pacific region. Stoltenberg said China is increasingly investing in nuclear weapons and long-range missiles without providing transparency or engaging in meaningful dialogue on arms control for atomic weapons, while escalating coercion of its neighbors and threats against Taiwan, the self-ruled island it claims as its own territory.
“The fact that Russia and China are coming closer and the significant investments by China and new advanced military capabilities just underlines that China poses a threat, poses a challenge also to NATO allies,” Stoltenberg told an audience at Keio University in Tokyo. “Security is not regional but global.”
“NATO needs to make sure we have friends,” he said. “It is important to work more closely with our partners in the Indo-Pacific.”
Stoltenberg said a victory by Russian President Vladimir Putin in his war on Ukraine would send a message that authoritarian regimes can achieve their goals through brute force. “This is dangerous,” he said.
“China is watching closely and learning lessons that may influence its future decisions,” Stoltenberg said at a joint news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
“China is substantially building up its military forces including nuclear weapons, bullying its neighbors and threatening Taiwan, trying to control critical infrastructure and spreading misinformation about NATO and the war in Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said. “China is not our adversary, but we must understand the scale of the challenge and work together to address it.”
He said the alliance would continue to engage with China in areas of common interest, such as climate change.
CBS News contributor General H.R. McMaster (Retired), who served as national security adviser to former President Trump, said recently that the U.S. military must “be ready” for a possible war with China. He was backing a memo that came from Air Force Gen. Mike Minihan, head of the U.S. Air Mobility Command, warning the U.S. and China could be at war within the next two years.
McMaster said Minihan’s remark was likely based on a “gut feeling that we’re in a period of increasing danger, and I think he’s right about that.” McMaster pointed specifically to Taiwanese elections scheduled for 2024, saying if China’s leadership “doesn’t see the outcome they want in Taiwan then, I think the chances go up.”
Most importantly, McMaster said, China’s leader Xi Jinping “has said he’s going to do it. You know, many of his speeches, he seems to be preparing the Chinese people for war, and of course, it’s our military’s job to be ready.”
Stoltenberg and Kishida held talks and agreed to step up their partnership in security in cyberspace, space, defense and other areas.
Besides Japan, NATO is also strengthening “practical cooperation” with Australia, New Zealand and South Korea in maritime cybersecurity and other areas and stepping up participation of their leaders and ministers in NATO meetings, he said.
Kishida on Tuesday announced Japan’s plans to open a representative office at NATO.
Tokyo was quick to join in U.S.-led economic sanctions against Russia’s war in Ukraine and provided humanitarian aid and non-combative defense equipment for Ukrainians. Japan fears that Russian aggression in Europe could be reflected in Asia, where concerns are growing over increasing Chinese assertiveness and escalating tensions over its claim to Taiwan.
Stoltenberg arrived in Japan late Monday from South Korea, where he called for Seoul to provide direct military support to Ukraine to help it fight off the prolonged Russian invasion.
North Korea condemned Stoltenberg’s visits to South Korea and Japan, saying that NATO was trying to put its “military boots in the region” to pressure America’s Asian allies into providing weapons to Ukraine.
North Korea also criticized increasing cooperation between NATO and U.S. allies in Asia as a process to create an “Asian version of NATO,” saying it would raise tensions in the region.
“When effectively the Arab-Israeli conflict (comes) to an end, I think we’ll circle back to the Palestinians and get a workable peace with the Palestinians,” he said.
“I went around them (Palestinians), I went directly to the Arab states and forged with a new concept of peace… I forged four historic peace agreements, the Abraham Accords, which is twice the number of peace agreements that all my predecessors in 70 years got combined.”
His comments come at a tense moment for Israel. Palestinians and Israelis have suffered terrible bloodshed in the past week, and fears are growing that the situation will spiral out of control. Last Thursday was the deadliest day for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in nearly two years, followed by a shooting near a Jerusalem synagogue Friday night — which Israel has deemed one of its worst terror attacks in recent years.
The Biden administration has advocated for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but there has been very little movement and seemingly few active efforts toward that goal by Netanyahu or Palestinian leaders.
Analysts say the Abraham Accords have also done little to moderate Israel’s position on the Palestinians. When asked what concession Israel would grant Palestinian territories, Netanyahu responded: “Well, I’m certainly willing to have them have all the powers that they need to govern themselves. But none of the powers that could threaten (us) and this means that Israel should have the overriding security responsibility.”
There are hopes that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to Israel and the West Bank this week would help cool rising tensions.
But both administrations appear to be on opposite sides of the coin when it comes to Israeli settlements. Netanyahu vowed this week that Israel would “strengthen” settlements in response to shooting attacks in Jerusalem, a position Blinken cautioned against on Tuesday.
Netanyahu explained his position on Iran to Tapper, saying, “If you have rogue regimes that are (intending to get) nuclear weapons, you can sign 100 agreements with them, it doesn’t help.”
“I think the only way that you can stop or abstain from getting nuclear weapons is a combination of crippling economic sanctions, but the most important thing, is a credible military threat,” he said.
Iran has said its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes and that it formally halted its weapons program, but US officials warned Iran’s uranium enrichment activities have gone far beyond the parameters of the failed 2015 nuclear deal since former US President Trump exited it. Last week, the International Atomic Energy Agency chief warned that Tehran has amassed enough material for “several nuclear weapons” and urged diplomatic efforts to restart to prevent such a scenario.
Another point of contention among US allies has been Israel’s ambivalent stance on Ukraine. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Israel has been performing a diplomatic balancing act in relations with Moscow.
Although it has officially condemned the invasion and regularly sends aid to Ukraine, Israel has yet to send the Ukrainians weapons, and has been criticized for not being more forceful in its criticism of Russia.
Israel does not want to upset Russia when the Israeli air force is looking to hit targets across the border in Syria. Israel has launched hundreds of strikes against its neighbor in recent years, mostly aimed at disrupting Iran’s supply of precision-guided missile technology to Hezbollah.
Netanyahu referenced this complicated scenario to Tapper, adding that Israel has been “taking action against certain weapons development” in Iran. He however refused to confirm or deny whether Israel was behind drone attacks at a military plant in Iran’s central city of Isfahan over the weekend.
“I never talk about specific operations… and every time some explosion takes place in the Middle East, Israel is blamed or given responsibility — sometimes we are sometimes we’re not.”
Netanyahu’s governing coalition relies on the support of a number of nationalist political figures once consigned to the fringes of Israeli politics.
Netanyahu dismissed concerns about the inflammatory rhetoric and actions of these members, saying: “I’ve got my two hands on the wheel.”
Pressed on some of those extreme statements — including reports that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich described himself as a “fascist homophobe” — Netanyahu said: “Well, a lot of people say a lot of things when they’re not in power. They sort of temper themselves when they get into power. And that’s certainly the case here.”
Netanyahu accused critics of hypocrisy and not holding a similar lens against his predecessors, while adding: “Look, I’m controlling the government, and I’m responsible for its policies, and the policies are sensible, and responsible, and continue to be that.”
The six-time prime minister also rejected criticism of his government’s push for judicial reforms, that would give parliament (and by extension the parties in power) the ability to overturn supreme court rulings, appoint judges, and remove from ministries legal advisers whose legal advice is binding.
This comes after he was forced to dismiss key ally Aryeh Deri from his ministerial posts after the High Court ruled that it was unreasonable to appoint the Shas party leader to positions in government due to his criminal convictions.
Netanyahu told Tapper that he believed the changes would “make democracy stronger.”
His country has seen ongoing demonstrations against judicial reforms, drawing tens of thousands of Israelis to the streets in January.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu continues to face charges on three separate cases in a long-running corruption trial that has dogged him politically. He has repeatedly denied all the charges against him, and has described the trial as a “witch hunt.”
When asked whether there was an truth to claims that Netanyahu was trying to override the judiciary due to his own interests, he said “that’s false. None of the reforms that we’re talking about… have anything to do with my trial.”
We’ve come a long way. From the early, terrifying days of a rapidly spreading deadly infection to the current circumstances in which — despite a recent steep rise in transmission rates — Covid-19 has, for many people, become no more than an occasional inconvenience, involving a few days of symptoms and a short isolation period. It’s clear that for many, if not most, people, SARS-CoV-2 infection no longer carries the same risks of adverse outcomes as it did in the early months of the pandemic. These shifts have led to a widespread assumption, fueled by political and economic priorities, that the pandemic is behind us — that it’s time to let go of caution and resume prepandemic life.
The reality, however, would starkly contradict such a belief. Covid-19 currently results in about 300 to 500 deaths per day in the United States — equivalent to an annual mortality burden higher than that associated with a bad influenza season. In addition, many people continue to face severe short- or long-term Covid-19 illness, including people who lack access to vaccines or treatment and those with underlying conditions that impair their immune response to vaccines or render them especially vulnerable to Covid-associated complications. The ever-looming threat of the evolution of a new variant, one that can evade our vaccines and antivirals, remains very real. These facts support the assumption that SARS-CoV-2 will continue to play a major role in our lives for the foreseeable future. This new reality compels us to navigate a more complex social, economic, political, and clinical terrain and to take to heart the lessons learned from the Covid-19 response thus far — both the successes and the missteps.
To date, monitoring of the effects of Covid-19 has rested on several epidemiologic and clinical measures, which have shaped the recommended or mandated protective actions. Most commonly, these measures have included estimated rates of Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths; monitoring has also been conducted of circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants and their susceptibility to available vaccines and treatments.
Yet in the current situation, some of these traditional measures have limited value. For example, the availability of rapid antigen tests that can be conducted at home — the results of which often aren’t captured by public health surveillance systems — challenges the validity of reported case numbers and transmission rates in some jurisdictions. There is therefore a need for unbiased monitoring of transmission and infection rates by means of regular testing of sentinel populations or randomly selected representative samples of the general population.1,2 Hospitalization and death rates are certainly more reliable measures than case rates, but these measures are limited by the fact that some hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection have been admitted for other reasons and only incidentally tested positive. Furthermore, hospitalization and death are distal outcomes, so their rates have limited value for triggering early action to control the spread of infection and averting the consequences of a surge in cases. Other measures have gained prominence and now play a critical role in defining risk for infection or severe disease. Vaccine and booster coverage and availability and utilization of treatment for Covid-19 are critical variables that affect both the risk of severe illness or death from SARS-CoV-2 and health system capacity and access.
We have gained a deeper appreciation of the breadth of the pandemic’s effects, beyond its obvious health effects. These effects have included loss of employment or housing, disruption of educational systems, and increased rates of food insecurity. Many of these negative social and economic effects were unintended results of mitigation measures, including stay-at-home orders, the shutting down of public venues, and transitions to remote learning. Although these measures were appropriate at the time, their effects weren’t evenly distributed, with some communities facing disproportionate hardship, particularly historically marginalized racial and ethnic groups and communities with limited social and economic reserves. It is thus necessary to take into account the ways in which public health recommendations and policies may differentially affect various subgroups of the population. Government and nongovernmental entities need to create clear pathways for vulnerable populations to obtain access to the resources they need, including masks, vaccines, no-cost treatment, direct economic assistance, supplemental food, rent abatement, and Internet access to support virtual learning and remote access to health services.3 Such an approach requires that the federal government continue to invest in the Covid-19 response, since private-sector investment will be insufficient to meet all needs.4
One of the key challenges that the public health community faces as the pandemic evolves is the need to move away from universal recommendations, or population-wide prevention policy, toward a more differentiated or tailored approach — one that takes into account the characteristics of various communities and the pathogen. Relevant characteristics may include those that influence virus transmission or clinical outcomes, such as vaccine and booster coverage and risk factors for severe outcomes, including chronic medical conditions, racism and discrimination based on ethnicity, and lack of adequate health insurance. The implementation of tailored guidance for specific populations, however, is complicated by the legacy of glaring health disparities, the threat of stigmatization, and prevailing mistrust of authorities in some communities. Health-equity and antiracist principles and insights from the fields of health communication and behavioral science must therefore be taken into account from the start in the development and dissemination of recommendations and the implementation of programs and policies.3,5
There is much to lament in the politicization of the Covid-19 pandemic, the spread of disinformation and misinformation, the deep divisions within the U.S. population and, globally, in people’s perceptions of the pandemic and willingness to trust guidance and embrace protective measures. These divisions should inspire a reexamination of the reasons that some public health recommendations fell flat, in addition to an acknowledgment that political expedience played a role in sowing mistrust. As the pandemic evolves, as the measures of its effects become more complex, and as guidance requires greater tailoring to specific populations, effective communication becomes even more important. Providing clear guidance, including explaining the rationale for various recommendations, acknowledging the social and economic trade-offs involved in complying with them, and offering people the resources they will need to effectively manage these trade-offs, would go a long way toward enabling the adoption of those recommendations.
Most important, attention to the engagement of trusted community leaders and spokespeople is required, as is listening authentically to communities from the start. Rather than focusing solely on what is being recommended, it’s equally important for public health leaders to focus on how recommendations are communicated and disseminated. Early engagement of community representatives is critical so that various aspects of anticipated guidance can be discussed in detail, including rationales, trade-offs, and the most appropriate communication channels and formats. Engagement must not only come in the form of an emergency response, but must involve a consistent presence, which can then be leveraged and activated further during times of urgent need.
The current moment in the Covid-19 pandemic is a pivotal one. There is an urgent need to confront a future in which SARS-CoV-2 will remain with us, threatening the health and well-being of millions of people throughout the world. At the same time, it’s important to acknowledge that objectively we are in a better place with regard to the virus than we’ve ever been and that in fact many people believe the pandemic is behind us. This reality compels us to avoid using alarmist language and to offer valid and feasible solutions to bring people along to a new, nonemergency phase of the pandemic. How we craft our policies, programs, and associated messaging in this context and who delivers the messages is as important as ever.
An Iranian soldier participates in the Zulfighar-1401 military exercises held in December 2022 in this still from footage promoting the drills. Iran has amassed the region’s largest missile and drone arsenal, and has continued to advance its conventional capabilities while denying any intention of producing a nuclear weapon.ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN ARMY
In the wake of a drone strike against at least one defense factory in the central city of Isfahan, Iranian officials told Newsweek that any military option pursued by the United States against the Islamic Republic would result in all-out conflict with regionwide ramifications.
While the U.S. military has denied any role in the attack that took place late Saturday, local time, unnamed U.S. officials cited in major outlets such as The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times have placed the blame on Israel, a U.S. ally and Iran’s top foe, which has neither accepted nor denied involvement. No other entity has come forward with claims of responsibility.
Iranian officials, who have consistently denied pursuing such a weapon of mass destruction, have warned that any military action the U.S. takes would spark a far larger escalation between the two powers.
“In Iran’s perspective, the use of the military option at any level means U.S. entry into the war,” Iran’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations told Newsweek.
“For now,” the Mission noted, “Iran considers such a possibility to be weak.”
But the Mission also stated that “if the U.S. miscalculates and starts a war,” that the “consequences for the region and the world” of such conflict would be “up to” Washington.
In the event of such a development, the Mission asserted that “there is no doubt that Iran possesses the capability to defend its security and interests.”
The Iranian Ministry of Defense described the incident as an “unsuccessful attack” carried out by three small drones against one of the ministry’s “workshop complexes.” One of the drones was said to have been downed by the facility’s air defenses, while two others were said to have exploded after being caught by other defensive measures.
“Fortunately, this unsuccessful attack did not cause any casualties and only caused minor damage to the roof of the workshop, which, by God’s grace,” the statement added, “did not cause a disruption to the equipment and the operations of the complex.”
The ministry assured that “the actions of our centers to produce power, authority and security will continue with speed and seriousness, and these blind actions will not have an impact on the continuation of the country’s progress.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian condemned the attack in a press conference.
“Following efforts by the enemies of Iran’s nation aiming to make Iran insecure in recent months, this cowardly act has been taken today,” Amir-Abdollahian told reporters. “Our country’s security will act with maximum potency to provide national security in the country, and such actions must not affect the will and intention of our experts to progress in the field of peaceful nuclear plans.”
Reached for comment, a Pentagon spokesperson told Newsweek that “we’ve seen the press reports, but can confirm that no U.S. military forces have conducted strikes or operations inside Iran.”
“We continue to monitor the situation, but have nothing further to provide,” the spokesperson added.
Army Major John Moore, spokesperson for U.S. Central Command, also denied any Pentagon role in the event, telling Newsweek that “U.S. military forces were not involved in this weekend’s strike in Iran.”
A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declined Newsweek‘s request to comment on the matter.
The IDF has regularly neither confirmed nor denied conducting operations against Iran, most often in third countries such as Syria, where yet another strike was reported Monday, resulting in what the U.K.-based, opposition-led Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported to be the death of the commander of an Iran-backed militia and two of his companions. It was the third strike reported in less than 24 hours in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, which borders Iraq.
Newsweek has recently reported on the IDF’s so-called “war between wars,” which included a concerted effort to target Iran’s operations in Syria, where Tehran has set out to shore up air defense capabilities against foes such as Israel. Reports of Israeli action within Iran itself were less common, however, though Israel has been accused for years of orchestrating high-profile assassinations and sabotage attempts on Iranian soil, mostly against individuals and sites tied to Iran’s nuclear program.
The latest unrest emerged as Blinken traveled to the Middle East, where he met Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following a joint press conference in Jerusalem on January 30. The two men affirmed their alliance and joint efforts to counter Iran days after the Islamic Republic was targeted by a drone attack.DEBBIE HILL/POOL/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
“Our policy, and my policy, is to do everything within Israel’s power to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them, and that will remain so,” Netanyahu said. “But obviously, the fact that we and the United States are working together is something that is important for this common goal as well.”
Blinken said the Biden administration agreed “that Iran must never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon,” and added that he and the Israeli premier “discussed deepening cooperation to confront and counter Iran’s destabilizing activities in the region and beyond.”
Last week, the two allies held their largest-ever joint live-fire exercise in Israel, involving nearly 8,000 troops along with more than 140 aircraft, including fifth-generation fighter jets and long-range bombers, 12 naval vessels and a number of artillery systems such as the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).
How Russia is getting even closer to Iran
In his comments on Monday, the top U.S. diplomat went on to criticize Iran’s supply of drones to Russia as the Kremlin continued to wage war on neighboring Ukraine, which has received extensive assistance from the U.S. and NATO allies.
Tehran’s growing defense ties with Moscow, along with crackdowns on nationwide protests gripping the Islamic Republic since the death of a woman in police custody in September, have been cited by U.S. officials as partially influencing the Biden administration’s decision to no longer “focus” on pursuing diplomacy toward reviving the JCPOA.
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran under Trump nearly spilled into conflict on at least two occasions, following Iran’s shootdown of a U.S. spy drone over the Persian Gulf in June 2019 and the U.S. assassination of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander Major General Qassem Soleimani in January 2020.
Biden, who criticized his predecessor’s handling of Iran policy and supported the JCPOA, set out to restart negotiations toward returning the U.S. to the deal. He has demanded, however, that Iran first return to the nuclear enrichment limitations it suspended as a result of Washington’s exit and the threats of sanctions against other parties seeking to do business with Tehran.
Nine rounds of JCPOA revival talks were held in the Austrian capital in Vienna and a “final” draft was established by the European Union, but discussions unraveled last August.
A still from a video published January 27 shows a series of images from the joint U.S.-Israel Juniper Oak 2023 exercise held between January 23 and January 27 by the two allies, in their largest-ever live-fire training. U.S. Central Command chief General Michael Kurilla said of the exercises: “Today the partnership between CENTCOM and the IDF is stronger and continues to grow.”TECH SERGEANT DANIEL ASSELTA/U.S. AIR FORCE CENTRAL
As the Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the drone strike in Iran as having the potential to stoke “an uncontrolled escalation,” Ukrainian officials appeared to welcome it. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky‘s office, suggested that the attack came as punishment for Iran transferring unmanned aerial systems to Russia.
“War logic is inexorable & murderous,” Podolyak tweeted Sunday. “It bills the authors & accomplices strictly. Panic in RF—endless mobilization, missile defense in Moscow, trenches 1000 km away, bomb shelters preparation.”
“Explosive night in Iran—drone & missile production, oil refineries,” he added. “[Ukraine] did warn you.”
The comments drew the ire of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, which summoned the charge d’affaires of the Ukrainian Embassy in Tehran on Monday over Podolyak’s “outland and baseless comments.”
“The Islamic Republic of Iran, while paying attention to the accepted principles of international law, has always emphasized the realization of national security and the protection of its interests, and will not compromise with any party on this matter,” ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said.
He also warned that “the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its legitimate rights to take countermeasures against parties that have engaged in acts contrary to international law.”
Newsweek has reached out to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry for comment.
Kanaani’s warning Monday extended to Washington as well, as he accused Blinken and the White House National Security Council of making “threatening statements” against Tehran and sponsoring unrest within the Islamic Republic itself.
“The U.S. government knows all too well that Iran will not tolerate any aggression against its territory and interests,” Kanaani said, “and will respond to aggressors decisively and in a manner that would make them regret their action.”
APalestinian gunman went on a shooting spree near a Jerusalem synagogue on January 27, killing seven and injuring three. According to Israeli Inspector General Yaakov Shabtai, the attack was an act of terrorism.
Celebration: The following day, a 13-year-old Palestinian shot and wounded another two people. Subsequently, Palestinian crowds gathered around the West Bank and Gaza, celebrating the attacks by launching fireworks, dancing and honking car horns.
According to Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem, the attacks proved “the resistance knows how to find the appropriate response” to Israeli “crimes.” These attacks followed on the heels of an Israeli air raid that targeted and killed seven militant Palestinians. But the purportedly “appropriate response” was an attack on ordinary Jewish civilians.
Iranian takeover: These statements of incitement show just how much Hamas has taken over Palestinian leadership. The Iranian proxy group is firmly embedded in the Palestinian terrorism effort. Hamas’s increasing domination of Palestine could lead to the fulfillment of dramatic Bible prophecies.
US Defence Secretary said that the US and South Korea will conduct “increasingly complex scenario-based tabletop exercises focused on nuclear threats on the peninsula.”
Austin is visiting Seoul for the third time as defence secretary, during which he is to meet with his South Korean counterpart Lee Jong-sup and President Yoon Suk-yeol.
His visit is aimed at deepening cooperation and discussing security challenges, as well as reaffirming “that the US extended deterrence commitment to the ROK (Republic of Korea) is ironclad,” he wrote.
Military tensions on the Korean peninsula rose sharply last year as the North conducted sanctions-busting weapons tests nearly every month, including firing its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un also recently called for an “exponential” increase in Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal, and declared the North an “irreversible” nuclear state last year.
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