3/31/21

 * PA calls Jews visiting Temple Mount a 'provocation' Official PA news agency condemns visit of Jews to Judaism's holiest site over Passover holiday.

* Israel: Rivlin receives official election results, hopes for 'out-of-ordinary coalition' Likud ministers slam Israeli president for his remarks, say he 'must not become a political actor'.

* US report reaffirms Jerusalem as Israel's capital, speaks of occupation The reports also affirm Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which the US recognized in 2019.

* A growing challenge for Iraq: Iran-aligned Shiite militias Iran-aligned Shiite militias are posing an increasing challenge for Iraq ahead of key talks with Washington that are meant to shape the future of the U.S.-Iraq relationship.

* Are the warming ties between Turkey, Egypt a sign of shifting geopolitics? A possible deterioration in its relationship with Washington is driving a rapprochement between Ankara and some Arab capitals.

* China warned 25-year deal with Iran is ‘hugely risky’ despite hope it will boost influence in Middle East Beijing is hoping to boost its influence in the region, but the agreement may cause concern in other countries – especially those hostile to Tehran.

* China's Threat to Free Speech in Europe The current standoff is, in essence, about the future of free speech in Europe. If notoriously feckless European officials fail to stand firm in the face of mounting Chinese pressure, Europeans who dare publicly to criticize the CCP in the future can expect to pay an increasingly high personal cost for doing so.

* Jihadis Are Becoming Turkey’s Permanent Proxy Force Turkey, a member of NATO, now effectively has a jihadi proxy force that it has deployed in its Syrian homeland as well as in faraway war theaters like Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh.

* US State Department human-rights report returns to using ‘occupied’ territories The language, however, “is not meant to convey a position on any final-status issues to be negotiated between the parties to the conflict.”

* EU Invests Over $13M Into Illegal Muslim Land Grabs in Israel And the Philistines stopped up all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of his father Avraham, filling them with earth. Genesis 26:15.

* US church membership plummets to all-time low, Gallup poll finds “The decline in church membership is primarily a function of the increasing number of Americans who express no religious preference,” reported Gallup.

3/30/21

 * Israel 'worried' about Iran-China deal, former intel chief says 'On the one hand, China opposes Iran having a nuclear bomb, but on the other, it's not helping to stop it'.

* Iran General Salami Claims Invincibility: ‘Enemies Cannot even Dream of Victory’ Iran has such military strength and experience in dynamic modern warfare no enemy can even dream of beating it, Major General Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, declared Tuesday.

* Putin won’t allow US to lecture Russia from ‘a position of power,’ Kremlin insists after weeks of diplomatic spats with Biden If American diplomats want constructive talks with Russia, they will have to be prepared to treat their counterparts in Moscow as equals, the Kremlin has warned amid a series of increasingly combative exchanges with Washington.

* Houthis expel nearly all remaining Yemenite Jews, only four seniors remain Iran-backed Houthi rebel group in Yemen has expelled most of the last remaining Yemenite Jews from Sanaa, the country’s largest city.

* Insane: Syria Is Threatening to Undermine Israel with Tunnels A Syrian general claims that the Syrian Civil War has turned Syrian soldiers into “experts” at digging holes in the ground.

* Combatting Antisemitism Benefits the Arab World Deep-rooted and persistent antisemitism is one of the central reasons for the Arab world’s lack of innovation and development relative to Israel and the Western world.

* EU presidents to go to Turkey next week, spokesman says The presidents of the European Council and the European Commission will meet Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey on April 6, an EU spokesman said on Monday, in the latest sign of improving ties.

* Bahrain appoints first-ever ambassador to Israel A Bahraini team is expected to arrive in Israel in the coming weeks to set up an embassy in the Tel Aviv area.

* What China's Communist Party Wants: Its New Five-Year Plan The Chinese Communist Party's overarching strategy for the next five to fifteen years, apparently, is to accelerate China's rise by becoming an innovation superpower, technologically independent of the West and dominating global tech.

* Biden's Passover Message: No Mention Of God, Erases Jerusalem, Recommends Desecrating the Holiday In their holiday greetings, President Joe Biden and the First Lady praised the Passover holiday as a time to reflect on the adversity of the COVID pandemic and overcoming racism and prejudice.

3/29/21

 * What is Iran saying about their agreement with China? - analysis “This agreement is somewhat ambiguous, and on the other hand, in some cases, Iran has had bitter experiences in dealing with other countries. It has pros and cons.”

* Iran: Europe’s greatest post-COVID security threat Former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo has taken a hawkish tone with EU; he now claims Biden is playing softball with Iran, writes Emir Gürbüz.

* The Middle East offers US, China some common ground to cooperate on anti-terrorism and security The Alaska talks highlighted tensions between Washington and Beijing, but they could collaborate on shared interests in the Middle East: anti-terrorism and security.

* What We Learned About Iran's, Syria's, and Israel's Militaries After Their Missile Exchange An exchange of missiles in 2019 revealed a lot of pertinent information about three Middle Eastern militaries.

* Thousands at Western Wall for traditional Passover priestly blessing ceremony In stark contrast to last year, when only a symbolic 10 people were permitted to participate, rolled back virus restrictions allow masses to reach Old City site.

* Omer Harvested and Full-Dress Temple Service Reenactment Carried Out [WATCH] On Sunday night, while most of Israel was cleaning up from the Passover and the Seder ritual, a few families went out to the fields to harvest the barley to be used in the Omer wave offering in precisely seven weeks.

* Blinken: "Two-state solution is the best way to ensure Israel's future." Mr. Blinken, only when history precedes politics, can any progress follow - and your words contravene history. Op-ed.

* The EU and Russia: From High Hopes to Reality EU-Russia relations are at their lowest since the end of the Cold War and show limited potential for meaningful improvement.

* Erdogan urges Kosovo to rethink opening of Jerusalem embassy Turkish President urges Kosovan Prime Minister to reconsider the country's decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem.

* ‘Very few’ Europeans believe US will intervene on their behalf in military crisis In a pan-European survey of over 15,000 citizens in ten EU Member States, just 10 percent held the view that the US was a “reliable” security partner that will always protect Europe.

3/27/21

 * Passover Sacrifice Dry-Run Takes Place Near Temple Mount: Police Warm Up to the Idea On Tuesday evening, while Israelis headed to the polls for the fourth time in two years, a reenactment of the Korban Pesach (the Passover Temple service) was held near the Shaar HaAshpot (the dung gate) near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. 

* Israeli Election Too Close to Call, Though Netanyahu Wins Plurality Israel’s fourth election in two years is too close to call, even though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party won far more votes than any of its rivals on Tuesday.

* China plans to invite Palestinians and Israelis for talks - report China has not reached out to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office or Foreign Ministry about hosting peace talks.

* Mideast quartet discusses reviving Israel, Palestinian peace talks It has said it will continue to urge other countries to normalize ties with Israel, but stressed that is not a substitute for Israeli-Palestinian peace.

* For First Time in Israel: Two Public Priestly Blessings on Passover One of the most impressive gatherings of the year is the Birkat Kohanim, the twice-annual priestly blessing held on the second intermediate days of Passover and Sukkoth when some 40,000 Jews come to the Kotel (Western Wall) in Jerusalem to be blessed by hundreds of Kohanim (the descendants of Aaron the priest).

* Expert Claims Cold War Between US, China Began Last Week and Could Go Hot at Any Moment Last Thursday, Chinese officials met with their American counterparts in Anchorage, Alaska, for two days, and, by all accounts, the meeting was not friendly.

* China Calling for Civilizational War Against America and the West There was a "strong smell of gunpowder" when American and Chinese diplomats met in Anchorage beginning March 18.

* Iran, Russia and Turkey signal growing alliance For years, Turkey would say one thing to Moscow and Tehran while telling Washington’s Iran hawks that Turkey was “against Russia and Iran.”

* China, Russia officials meet in show of unity against EU, US The foreign ministers of China and Russia have displayed unity amid criticism and new Western sanctions against them over human rights.

* Opinion: As Merkel exits the political stage, who will speak for a united Europe? German chancellor steps down in 2021 and leaves a question mark over the EU’s path.

* Wheaton College scrubs ‘savage’ from plaque honoring murdered missionaries Wheaton College will be removing and replacing a plaque honoring a group of alumni who were murdered by an indigenous tribe during a missionary trip to Ecuador.

3/26/21

 * Could Syria Trigger War Between Israel and Russia? The Kremlin has denounced Israeli strikes in Syria as “illegitimate.”

* Naftali Bennett: The Israeli nationalist politician who could determine Netanyahu's future In the aftermath of the March 23 Israeli general elections, religious nationalist politician Naftali Bennett, whose Yamina party is set to win seven parliamentary seats, could determine the political future of his former boss, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

* Avi Benlolo: Election-weary Israelis ask: Is it possible to have too much democracy? The people of Israel are strong and devoted. But a fourth election in just two years is fracturing the fabric of the nation.

* Is Islam the future of a fatiscent Russia? An official of the Russian Orthodox Church predicts there will be no more Russians in 2050. He may be right. Op-ed.

* China, Iran expected to sign 25-year accord, Iranian state media says In 2016, China, one of Iran’s largest trading partners and long-time ally, agreed to boost bilateral trade by more than 10 times to $600 billion in the next decade.

* North Korea says it fired 'tactical guided projectile' North Korea says it fired new projectile that was improved to carry a 2.5-ton warhead.

* ‘Worrying trend’: London seeks to exclude Moscow from European security system while it cozies up to America, says Russian envoy The British leadership has grown increasingly hostile towards Moscow, Russia’s ambassador to London, Andrey Kelin, has told RT.

* Analysis: Lebanon frozen by political intransigence as it hurtles towards collapse Just 18 months have passed since mass protests against Lebanon’s political class brought down one government, and nearly eight more months since a huge explosion destroyed the port of Beirut and toppled its successor.

* Analysis: As Iran toughens stance, hopes for nuclear thaw before June diminish The odds of Washington and Tehran making progress to revive the 2015 nuclear deal before Iran’s June elections have dwindled after Iran opted to take a tougher stance before returning to talks, diplomats and officials said.

* America at the End of Empire In a recent monologue on HBO’s Real Time, host Bill Maher called Americans a “silly people” for allowing themselves to be mired in culture war struggles, such as the politically correct cancelling of children’s books, while our superpower competition China is laser-focused on political, economic, and military dominance.

3/25/21

 * How can Israel form a coalition and avoid another election? Ahead of Tuesday’s election, all the party leaders, from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on down, spoke to reporters and analysts constantly, in order to try to get out the vote.

* Gulf officials warn Israel against forming gov't with far-right candidates: report 'Expressions against Muslims and Arabs will harm the normalization deals,' officials tell Jerusalem.

* EU supports Israel on Golan at UNHRC as Agenda Item 7 opposition grows German envoy Michael Frelherr von Ungern-Sternberg said that "while hundreds of thousand of Syrians suffer at the hands of the regime, this text focuses only on Israel."

* China’s foreign minister starts Middle East tour with Iran deal, alliances high on agenda Wang Yi began his trip in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday and he will visit five other nations over the next week.

* Expert Claims Cold War Between US, China Began Last Week... And Could Go Hot At Any Moment Last Thursday, Chinese officials met with their American counterparts in Anchorage, Alaska, for two days, and, by all accounts, the meeting was not friendly.

* As China faces sanctions from the West, it looks to the Middle East for alliance and influence Foreign Minister Wang Yi thanks Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for Saudi support on Xinjiang and Hong Kong.

* EU leaders to discuss relations with Turkey during video summit European Union leaders will on Thursday consider diplomatic and economic incentives to encourage strategic southeastern neighbour Turkey to continue improving often fraught ties with the EU and promote stability.

* Philippines’ Duterte Threatens to Force Churches to Close if They Hold Mass on Easter The government of the Philippines will forcibly close Catholic churches in Manila if priests hold Easter masses next week in violation of a federal mandate banning religious gatherings in the city to curb the spread of coronavirus, a government spokesman announced on Tuesday.

* Holy Bible blasted as ‘bigoted document’: Equality Act ‘explicitly targets’ Scripture WND: The Democrats’ Equality Act “explicitly targets” the Bible with provisions that erase any allowance for differences between men and women, warns Yaakov Menken, the managing director of the Coalition for Jewish Values.

* Over 30 million people 'one step away from starvation', UN warns Acute hunger is likely to soar in more than 20 countries in the next few months, the UN has warned.

3/24/21

 * Deeply Polarized Israel Fails to Anoint a Leader Once Again No clear winner emerged from Israel’s fourth election in two years, leaving legally embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu scrambling to woo political rivals as he struggles to cling to power.

* Israeli Election Too Close to Call, Though Netanyahu Wins Plurality Israel’s fourth election in two years is too close to call, even though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party won far more votes than any of its rivals on Tuesday.

* An overwhelmingly right-wing Knesset any way you slice it Channel 12 News predicts that 76 of the Knesset’s 120 members will come from right-wing parties.

* Israel Elections: What does Religious Zionist win mean for progressives? The list's policies and statements on a number of issues could impact a variety of sectors in Israel, including women, Arab-Israelis, LGBTQ+ people and secular Israelis at large.

* Passover Sacrifice Dry-Run Takes Place Near Temple Mount: Police Warm Up to The Idea [WATCH] On Tuesday evening, while Israelis headed to the polls for the fourth time in two years, a reenactment of the Korban Pesach (the Passover Temple service) was held near the Shaar HaAshpot (the dung gate) near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

* China plans to invite Palestinians and Israelis for talks - report China has not reached out to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office or Foreign Ministry about hosting peace talks.

* Mideast quartet discusses reviving Israel, Palestinian peace talks It has said it will continue to urge other countries to normalize ties with Israel, but stressed that is not a substitute for Israeli-Palestinian peace.

* Macron warns against Turkish 'interference' in French presidential election French President Emmanuel Macron warned that Turkey would try to interfere in France's 2022 presidential election in a TV interview that aired on Tuesday.

* Israel Tells Nasrallah ‘We Know Everything About You When a report appeared in the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot on March 12, reporting on the claim of Israeli officers to “know everything” about Hassan Nasrallah, this enraged the Hezbollah leader and his loyalists.

* Biden’s “Nine-Miles-Wide Plan” What should American Jews do? Turn to all our tried-and-true methods of lobbying and protest. And do it now-while there is still time. Op-ed.

3/23/21

 * Biden Torpedoes Abraham Accords Summit Media reports on March 18 revealed that the United Arab Emirates has suspended its plans for an Abraham Accords summit in Abu Dhabi with Israel, the United States, and other Arab signatories to the historic peace agreements brokered by the Donald Trump administration.

* The Biden Administration Will Push to Squeeze Israel Within 1949 Armistice Lines The Biden Administration intends to squeeze Israel back within the 1949 Armistice Lines.

* Israel Elections: How is Iran's regime responding? The overall picture of Iran’s disinterest in Israel’s elections is that Tehran has no real policy toward the Jewish state.

* What are the economic challenges facing Israel's next government? The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on some sectors, while several underlying issues, once covered up and ignored, have risen to the forefront.

* For First Time in Israel: Two Public Priestly Blessing on Passover One of the most impressive gatherings of the year is the Birkat Kohanim, the twice-annual priestly blessing held on the second intermediate days of Passover and Sukkoth when some 40,000 Jews come to the Kotel (Western Wall) in Jerusalem to be blessed by hundreds of Kohanim (the descendants of Aaron the priest).

* China, Russia officials meet in show of unity against EU, US The foreign ministers of China and Russia have displayed unity amid criticism and new Western sanctions against them over human rights.

* Moscow now has ‘no relations’ with EU because Brussels has ‘destroyed’ once friendly ties, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov claims Months of political tension and a wave of new sanctions have severed all links between the EU and Russia, Moscow’s top diplomat has said, adding that his country is ready to resume cooperation if Brussels decides it is interested.

* Opinion: As Merkel exits the political stage, who will speak for a united Europe? This is the year that we will no longer have Angela Merkel on the world stage. Back in 2018, she announced that she would step down this fall, after serving as the chancellor of Germany for 15 years.

* EU chiefs urge Turkey's Erdogan to ease strained ties with bloc In a video call, EU leaders spoke of the importance of "de-escalation" and "confidence-building" following frosty relations with Ankara over Syrian refugees and energy exploration rights.

* Woke Church of Sweden Theologian: Christians Can View Mohammed as a Prophet Top Church of Sweden theologian Jakob Wirén has claimed that Christians could view Islam’s Mohammed as a prophet.

3/22/21

 * Explainer: Israel's election - array of contenders seek to topple Netanyahu Israel holds its fourth election in two years on Tuesday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hopes the country’s world-leading coronavirus vaccine rollout will finally push him through an era of unprecedented political paralysis and into a stable majority.

* Russian jets hit northwestern Syria near Turkish border - witnesses, Syrian rebels Russian jets conducted raids on areas close to heavily populated towns and camps in opposition-held northwestern Syria near the Turkish border, the first such strikes this year, witnesses and rebel sources said on Sunday.

* NATO's Great Fear: Russian Stealth Fighters Headed for Turkey? It was announced recently that Russia is prepared to hold negotiations with its sometimes regional partner Turkey over the sale of Su-35 and Su-57 combat aircraft should the Turkish government express interest in the Russian-built fighters.

* Iran, Russia and Turkey signal growing alliance For years, Turkey would say one thing to Moscow and Tehran while telling Washington’s Iran hawks that Turkey was “against Russia and Iran.”

* Israel’s Daily Battle to Block Iranian Aggression Iran’s hegemony scheme for the Middle East not only includes surrounding Israel with missile bases and heavily armed proxies, but also equipping territories further away, such as Iraq and Yemen, to be future bases of attack.

* Iran is increasingly obsessed with defeating Saudi forces in Yemen This isn’t the first time Yemen has been caught in a proxy war. In the 1960s it was a center of conflict for Egypt and other powers, including Saudi Arabia.

* Don't cut or condition US military aid to Israel One of us is a member of Congress from Florida who serves on the House Armed Services Committee and used to work as a national security specialist at the Department of Defense.

* China Calling for Civilizational War Against America and the West "Gunpowder" is one of those words Beijing uses when it wants others to know war is on its mind.

* How US tensions with Russia and China could impact Israel Iran and Turkey are riding this wave of global exhaustion with US hegemony. They also want to invade states in the Middle East and supplant US allies, partners and influence.

* What Are Yemen's Houthi Rebels Doing with North Korean Missiles? Weapons can often end up in different hands than those who bought them.

3/20/21

* 'Israel will be hit by 2,000 missiles a day in future war' - IDF general “They know they cannot defeat us on the battlefield so they try to move the war to a second front and that is our homes and in our cities.”

* Netanyahu: Middle East change 'brought about by rise of two powers - Iran and Israel' The dramatic changes in the security and political landscape of the Middle East were "brought about by the rise of two powers -- Iran and Israel," Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told i24NEWS on Thursday.

* Biden seeks Palestinian ‘reset,’ return to ‘1967 lines,’ says memo According to the memo, the Biden administration will seek to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace under a two-state solution framework.

* The Canceled Visit of the Jordanian Crown Prince to the Temple Mount The seemingly innocent plan to have Jordanian Crown Prince Hussein visit the Temple Mount on March 11 was not arranged by chance.

* Recent Archaeological Announcement Reveals Secrets of the Prophets For the first time in 60 years, archaeologists announced the recovery of ancient parchments adding to the Biblically significant trove of Dead Sea Scrolls.

* Joe Biden backing ‘Putin is a killer’ claim is ‘tantrum of powerlessness’ and attack on whole of Russia, country’s top MP declares Explosive comments made by US President Joe Biden, in which he suggested his Russian counterpart is “a killer,” have ignited a diplomatic row, as Moscow’s chief parliamentarian said the remarks constitute an attack on the country.

* PA presents the PLO Charter as currently calling for Israel's destruction As part of a TV series entitled “Lexicon of the Revolution” official PA TV broadcast a filler about the 1964 Charter of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

* Is Russia Trying to Play Kingmaker in Lebanon? For Moscow, Lebanon, a strategic country on the Mediterranean, is an important extension of Putin’s Syria interests.

* Terror attack warning, superpower strategies, and new frontiers: what's in Boris' plan for Britain? The PM will outline his government’s foreign policy direction for the coming years, following the UK’s exit from the European Union.

* Israel and the China Dilemma Are the opportunities greater than the risks?

3/19/21

 * Can Iran Start World War III? Doubtful. Iran does not have a capacity to inflict major damage, let alone conquer the Middle East.

* Netanyahu: Middle East change 'brought about by rise of two powers - Iran and Israel' Israel's PM talks Middle Eastern politics and Israel's plans for post-coronavirus era in i24NEWS interview.

* Jordan counts on support from Biden as it pushes back against Netanyahu In delaying permission for PM to use airspace, Hashemite kingdom starts to reassert itself after keeping a low profile during Trump administration.

* Hamas chief re-elected, has repeatedly boasted of that Israel will be destroyed and declared loyalty to Iran The desire to destroy Israel has also been reiterated by the Palestinian Authority, which presents the PLO Charter as currently calling for Israel’s destruction.

* Russia’s Thermobaric Launchers Can Rain Hellfire at 10,000 Meters And it could be headed to the Middle East.

* ICC gives Israel month to seek deferral of war crimes probe The International Criminal Court has sent formal notices to Israel and the Palestinian Authority about its impending investigation into possible war crimes.

* France's Macron admonishes Iran amid slow progress on nuclear talks French President Emmanuel Macron accused Iran on Thursday of continuing to violate a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, and said Tehran should act responsibly.

* US and China clash amid blunt exchanges in first face-to-face meeting under President Biden The meetings in Alaska are a new test in increasingly troubled relations between the two countries.

* Turkey's Erdogan says Biden comments on Putin 'unacceptable' Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Joe Biden’s comments about Russia’s Vladimir Putin, in which he said he thought he was a killer, were “unacceptable” and unfitting of a U.S. president.

* Recent Archaeological Announcement Reveals Secrets of the Prophets For the first time in 60 years, archaeologists announced the recovery of ancient parchments adding to the Biblically significant trove of Dead Sea Scrolls.

3/18/21

 * Iran firmly committed to developing missile capability, says defense minister, amid hostility in the region The Iranian defense minister has reaffirmed his country’s commitment to strengthening its missile capabilities as Trump-era sanctions remain in place and tensions with Israel and the new US administration worsen.

* Iran has built new ballistic missile launch positions, satellite images show The Iranian Khorgo underground ballistic missile site is almost operational after new launching positions were constructed, satellite images obtained by Fox News show.

* Israel-Jordan tensions rise over canceled trips and campaign rhetoric Israeli-Jordanian relations deteriorated into a crisis this week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s election campaign helping to bring tensions to the brink of an explosion.

* The Canceled Visit of the Jordanian Crown Prince to the Temple Mount The seemingly innocent plan to have Jordanian Crown Prince Hussein visit the Temple Mount on March 11 was not arranged by chance.

* UAE said to shelve plans for Israel-US summit amid anger at PM’s electioneering Netanyahu’s apparent use of Gulf nation in campaign said to cause Abu Dhabi to halt arrangements for April confab with senior Biden officials and Arab leaders who normalized ties.

* Israel and the China Dilemma In the late spring of 2020, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Israel. His visit came after Israel formed a coalition government between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud and Benny Gantz’s Blue and White Party.

* Biden seeks Palestinian ‘reset,’ return to ‘1967 lines,’ says memo According to the memo, the goal is to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace under a two-state solution framework “based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed land swaps and agreements on security and refugees.”

* Four people on terror watchlist arrested at US/Mexico border since October Three were from Yemen and one from Serbia. The Yemenis were almost certainly jihad terrorists, and the Serb likely was as well.

* H.R.1 – Is It Really "For the People"? H.R.1 is nearly 800 pages of meritless, militant, social engineering targeting the foundations of the U.S. Constitution, voting rights and political free speech -- all dressed-up as being "for the people."

* Rebel priests defy Vatican, vow to bless same-sex couples A dissident band of Roman Catholic priests leading a disobedience campaign against the Vatican said on Tuesday they would carry on blessing same-sex couples in defiance of Church orders.

3/17/21

 * Russia warns UK nuclear arsenal plan harms global security The Kremlin has said the UK's decision to increase its nuclear arsenal represents a serious blow to arms control. Moscow also said it would take Britain's move into account when working on its own military planning.

* Joe Biden backing ‘Putin is a killer’ claim is ‘tantrum of powerlessness’ & attack on whole of Russia, country’s top MP declares Explosive comments made by US President Joe Biden, in which he suggested his Russian counterpart is “a killer,” have ignited a diplomatic row, as Moscow’s chief parliamentarian said the remarks constitute an attack on the country.

* ‘Iran has capacity to annihilate Zionist regime,’ says top IRGC general Major General Mohammad Bagheri announced to the Iranian media that his forces have “the capacities for the annihilation of the Zionist regime.”

* Boris Johnson warns of Iran nuclear breakout, threats to region UK Prime Minister blasts Iranian regime for 'disruptive behavior' in the region as well as harming its own citizens.

* Is Russia Trying to Play Kingmaker in Lebanon? For Moscow, Lebanon, a strategic country on the Mediterranean, is an important extension of Putin’s Syria interests.

* Libya arms embargo ‘totally ineffective’: UN UN panel of experts says violations of arms embargo are ‘extensive, blatant and with complete disregard for sanctions’.

* Election looming, Iran's Rouhani says hardliners sabotage goal to lift sanctions Iran’s pragmatist president accused hardline opponents on Wednesday of obstructing efforts to lift U.S. sanctions, in remarks that demonstrate how an upcoming election in Iran is now looming over the new U.S. administration’s plan for a thaw.

* NATO Chief Has ‘Serious Concerns’ About Turkey NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told the European Parliament on Monday he has “serious concerns” about the Turkish government’s behavior on various issues, “ranging from the eastern Mediterranean, the Turkish decision to buy the Russian air defense system S-400 or related to democratic rights in Turkey.”

* PA presents the PLO Charter as currently calling for Israel's destruction PA TV filler cites the PLO Charter presenting the destruction of Israel as “self – defense” and hides that it was supposed to have been amended.

* "Xi Jinping Will Not Stop until He Is Stopped": A Conversation with Gordon G. Chang We see Xi's new demands in his intransigent position going into Thursday's meeting in Anchorage.

3/16/21

 * Netanyahu: Israel will have four more peace deals soon Israel is on the way to making peace with four more countries in the region, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday.

* Biden Is Targeting Longstanding Alliances with Israel and Saudi Arabia to Curry Favor with Iran The Biden administration’s targeting of the US’s longstanding alliances with Israel and Saudi Arabia in order to placate Iran is not only immoral but disastrously counterproductive.

* Turkey prepares to clash with Israel, Greece and EU over East Med Ankara’s goal is to break up Israel’s relations. It has also sought to entice Egypt with claims of reconciliation in the last month.

* Attention President Biden: Yemen's Houthi Rebels are Iranian-backed Terrorists [T]he Houthis have also used the sophisticated weaponry they have received from Iran, such as drones and ballistic missiles, to broaden the conflict into neighbouring Saudi Arabia, which is leading the coalition military campaign to re-establish Yemen's democratically-elected government.

* Bible scroll fragments among dazzling artifacts found in Dead Sea Cave of Horror Parts of books of Nahum and Zechariah, world’s oldest woven basket, 6,000-year-old mummified child, Bar Kochba Revolt coins among stunning finds from daring Judean Desert rescue op.

* The Briefing: Why Syria's war has always been Europe's problem March 15 marked a decade since Syrians took to streets to demand political change.

* Terror attack warning, superpower strategies, and new frontiers: what's in Boris' plan for Britain? The UK's prime minister has unveiled plans to shift Britain's foreign policy focus to the east, following the country's exit from the European Union.

* We will not back down under sanctions, China warns EU China warned the European Union on Tuesday against planned EU sanctions for human rights violations, saying Beijing would not yield if Brussels interfered in its internal affairs.

* Biden calls on local preachers & doctors to promote vaccines… dismissing Fauci's appeal for Trump to help get skeptics on board President Joe Biden apparently doesn't share his chief Covid-19 adviser's view that Donald Trump would be a “game changer” in promoting vaccines, instead saying local church leaders and doctors would have the biggest impact.

* NATO changes tone: Chief of US-led bloc tells EU officials its members face ‘no imminent military threat’ from Russia or China There is no imminent threat of a military attack from Russia – or China – against any NATO member states, but the bloc’s very existence is the main reason for this situation, its Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has told the EU.

3/15/21

 * Iran’s Revolutionary Guard inaugurates new underground missile facility Guard commander Gen. Hossein Salami says cruise and ballistic missiles stored at the site will empower force’s navy further.

* 'Israel will be hit by 2,000 missiles a day in future war' - IDF general “They know they cannot defeat us on the battlefield so they try to move the war to a second front and that is our homes and in our cities.”

* WATCH: Iran reveals new ‘missile city’ with advanced capabilities Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ naval unit introduced a new “missile city” at an undisclosed location on Monday.

* Is the US misjudging the Middle East’s power shifts? Vali Nasr's view "Pivot to Asia." It was the catchphrase floating around Washington DC's foreign policy circles in 2009 when President Obama first took office.

* Is Israel Slowly Building a Military Alliance in Persian Gulf? Upgrades to existing relationships are only upgrades and nothing more. “Peace agreements” is a misnomer when applied to such upgrades.

* Biden Can Trigger a Regional War by Reviving the Nuclear Deal Governments in the Middle East have a valid reason to be concerned about the nuclear deal. They have already witnessed its negative consequences.

* Stop Giving Putin a Free Pass to Europe's Backyard Western powers have effectively given Vladimir Putin a free pass in Europe's backyard: the Balkans and the Middle East.

* Pope says 10th anniversary of Syrian civil war must spur peace efforts Pope Francis called the Syrian civil war one of the worst humanitarian crises of current times on Sunday, saying its 10th anniversary should spur all to seek “a sliver of hope” for a devastated nation.

* After a decade of war, Assad’s presidency is intact but under tutelage Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may be accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, but he has managed to save his regime at the cost of Syria’s destruction, thanks to his Russian and Iranian allies.

* How Putin unintentionally proved Kahane's point Most of the west condemned the Russian annexation of Crimea, but no one was determined enough to do anything to stop it. Op-ed.

3/13/21

 * Prominent Rabbis Ask Netanyahu To Allow The Passover Sacrifice On Temple Mount A group of prominent rabbis sent a letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu, requesting that a Passover offering be allowed on the Temple Mount.

* Iranian Defense Minister threatens to raze Tel Aviv and Haifa Iran's Defense Minister: If Israel launches a preemptive attack on Iran, we will raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground.

* WATCH: Israeli jets escort American B-52 bombers in apparent ‘show of force’ to Iran Two American B-52 bombers have performed a strategic fly-by, accompanied by Israeli fighter jets, in a show of force “pivotal in maintaining the security of Israeli and Middle Eastern skies,” according to the IDF.

* Netanyahu’s UAE trip upended over rift between the Jordanian and UAE royals Jordan’s pretext for blocking PM Binyamin Netanyahu’s flight to the UAE on Thursday, March 10 – for important talks with the UAE ruler, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan – was a spat over Jordanian Crown Prince’s visit to Temple Mount the day before.

* Growing Number of Saudis Declare Jerusalem Israel's Capital, 3rd Temple Construction The Trump initiated Abraham Accords is still enjoying ripple effects to this day.

* Turkey Signals Sweeping Regional Ambitions Buoyed by last year’s defeat of Armenia by Azerbaijan, TGRT, a subsidiary of Ihlas Holding, a media and construction conglomerate that has won major government tenders, used the map to advance a policy that has long constituted the agenda of some of Erdoğan’s closest advisors.

* The Shiite Crescent: The Middle East’s Arc of Crisis The Shiite Crescent is an imagined geopolitical entity composed of Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.

* ICC prosecutor gave PA advance notice but asked to “keep secret” her decision to open an investigation The response of the Palestinian Authority to the decision of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) again exposed the level of collusion between the two.

* China could invade Taiwan in the next 6 years, assume global leadership role, U.S. admiral warns A top U.S. admiral has said that Taiwan is in China's military sights, warning of possible military action in the next six years, as well as fears Beijing could overtake America's global leadership role in the coming decades.

* Iraqi convert to Christianity: ‘Muslims are triumphantly declaring that the pope has surrendered to Islam’ Pope Francis’ Iraq trip has triggered a tidal wave of mockery on social media, with Muslims gleefully announcing that the pontiff has surrendered to Islamic supremacy, an Iraqi Muslim convert has told Church Militant.

3/12/21

 * Growing Number of Saudis Declare Jerusalem Israel's Capital, 3rd Temple Construction The Trump initiated Abraham Accords is still enjoying ripple effects to this day.

* Netanyahu’s UAE trip upended over rift between the Jordanian and UAE royals Jordan’s pretext for blocking PM Binyamin Netanyahu’s flight to the UAE on Thursday, March 10 – for important talks with the UAE ruler, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan – was a spat over Jordanian Crown Prince’s visit to Temple Mount the day before.

* Israel, Greece, Cyprus hold naval drill amid deepening ties Exercises are sign of increased cooperation among countries that increasingly view Turkey as a rival in the Mediterranean.

* ICC prosecutor gave PA advance notice but asked to “keep secret” her ‎decision to open an investigation The response of the Palestinian Authority to the decision of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) again exposed the level of collusion between the two.

* 10 things to know about Israel's jittery peace with Jordan A list of Israeli-Jordanian crisis points, most of which center on the Temple Mount.

* Palestinians: Why Terrorists Support Mass Murderers For Hamas and Islamic Jihad, what matters is the money and weapons coming from Iran. They see Soleimani as a hero because of his role in providing the Gaza-based terror groups with cash and weapons in order to continue their jihad (holy war) against Israel and Jews.

* Khamenei stands defiant on Iran’s regional military presence In a speech replete with diatribes against the United States, Iran’s supreme leader defended his country’s controversial regional policies and accused Washington of “inverting the truth.”

* China, Iran, North Korea seek support at U.N. to push back against unilateral force, sanctions China, Russia, North Korea, Iran and others are seeking support for a coalition to defend the United Nations Charter by pushing back against the use or threat of force and unilateral sanctions, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Thursday.

* The Netherlands: The EU’s “New Britain”? Amsterdam would like to claim the role once played by London within the EU, but there are challenges in its path—and not all parties see it as a suitable candidate in the first place.

* Russia could be winner in WWIII ‘nightmare scenario’ by capturing northern Europe & blocking NATO counterattack – Swedish experts An all-out war in northern Europe could see Russian troops cut off the Baltic nations, delaying NATO forces from coming to their aid and securing a hold on the region, a new analysis by Sweden’s Defense Research Agency claims.

3/11/21

 * US losing military edge in Asia as China looks like it is planning for war: US Indo-Pacific Command chief The head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command told lawmakers this week that the U.S. is losing its edge over the Chinese military as the People’s Republic of China faces weakening international deterrence.

* Netanyahu forced to cancel trip to UAE amid dispute with Jordan PM had been scheduled for whirlwind Abu Dhabi visit Thursday, but Amman delayed approving flight route amid quarrel over its crown prince’s abandoned Temple Mount tour.

* Jordanian prince cancels Temple Mount visit following security mishap The Crown Prince of Jordan Hussein bin Abdullah was meant to visit Temple Mount on Wednesday. The visit never took place.

* Rabbi Cherlow bans unvaccinated Cohanim who infected others from priestly blessing Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, head of Center for Jewish Ethics at Tzohar, applies law banning Cohanim who shed blood to unvaccinated Cohanim.

* Turkey Signals Sweeping Regional Ambitions A nationalist Turkish television station with close ties to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has dug up a 12-year-old map that projects Turkey’s sphere of influence in 2050 as stretching from southeastern Europe on the northern coast of the Mediterranean and Libya on its southern shore across North Africa, the Gulf, and the Levant into the Caucasus and Central Asia.

* Bitcoin could become global reserve currency when US dollar implodes, entrepreneur tells Keiser Report Max Keiser talks to Jonathan Chester of Bitwage.com about the new reality of a post-pandemic world and his company’s business model of allowing everyone to be paid their wages in bitcoin.

* Greece, Cyprus and Israel sign EuroAsia Interconnector deal On Monday, Cyprus, Greece, and Israel signed an initial agreement to build the world’s longest and deepest underwater power cable that will traverse the Mediterranean seabed at a cost of about $900 million and link their electricity grids.

* Turkey, Russia, Qatar to push for political resolution in Syria Turkey, Russia and Qatar are making a joint attempt to promote a political solution to Syria’s 10-year conflict, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday.

* The Takeaway: Sudan playing increasingly pivotal role in Middle East Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok is in Riyadh for talks with the Saudi crown prince on Red Sea Security; Yazidi slave trade suggests Islamic State presence in Turkey; Erdogan’s mission impossible in dealing with the S-400; more!

* Pope Francis: “Authentic Islam and the proper reading of the Koran are opposed to every form of violence” No one would even be interested in this question were it not for the abundant evidence to the contrary: the daily record of jihad violence carried out by Muslims who point to Islam and the Qur’an to justify their actions, including many who are burning churches and terrorizing Christians in Nigeria, Egypt, Syria, Pakistan and elsewhere.

3/10/21

 * Prominent Rabbis Ask Netanyahu to Allow The Passover Sacrifice on Temple Mount A group of prominent rabbis sent a letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu, requesting that a Passover offering be allowed on the Temple Mount.

* Iran piles on aggression, emboldened by US-Saudi-Israel restraint US goodwill gestures and warning signals have clearly lost their punch for Iran – even when backed by the mighty US B-52 bombers flying over their heads.

* Netanyahu heading to UAE to meet crown prince Netanyahu is expected to meet with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed.

* ICC prosecutor gave PA advance notice but asked to “keep secret” her ‎decision to open an investigation The response of the Palestinian Authority to the decision of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) again exposed the level of collusion between the two.

* Temple Mount Closed to Jews For 'Palestinian' Holiday: An ‘Insult’ to Sunni Muslims On Thursday, the Temple Mount will be closed to Jews due to the Muslim holiday of Lailat al Miraj and will not reopen to Jews until Sunday morning.

* Iraqi convert to Christianity: ‘Muslims are triumphantly declaring that the pope has surrendered to Islam’ Pope Francis’ Iraq trip has triggered a tidal wave of mockery on social media, with Muslims gleefully announcing that the pontiff has surrendered to Islamic supremacy, an Iraqi Muslim convert has told Church Militant.

* Erdogan, Putin remotely start nuclear reactor construction The presidents of Turkey and Russia have remotely inaugurated the construction of a third nuclear reactor of Akkuyu power plant in southern Turkey, vowing to continue their close cooperation.

* Global Britain’s post-Brexit gamble backfiring as China, EU leave the UK behind The post-Brexit calculation in London was that even if Britain struggled on its own, it would still be better than life in a teetering EU.

* China could invade Taiwan in the next 6 years, assume global leadership role, U.S. admiral warns "Taiwan is clearly one of their ambitions ... And I think the threat is manifest during this decade, in fact, in the next six years," Adm. Philip Davidson said.

* Dragon Ships: China's Naval Threat China's navy is now the world's largest. It has been for some time. The U.S. Navy may still rule the oceans, but the Chinese rule the vital trade routes in the South China Sea.

3/9/21

 * EXPERT: Biden Administration Wants to Legitimize Hamas An expert in Arab0-Israel relations recently published a paper in which he claimed the Biden administration has been guiding the Palestinian Authority and Hamas in order to fast-track the creation of a terrorist state inside Israel.

* As pope ends trip, Iraq's prime minister calls for national dialogue Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi applauded Pope Francis' visit as a great success and reached out to the Iraqi people and different parties to form a dialogue of understanding and tolerance among them.

* IRAQ: Pope Listens to Imam Recite Prayer From Quran Slamming "Idolatrous Leaders" At a prayer event held at Abraham’s Birthplace in Iraq, a Shia cleric read to the Pope from the Ibrahim Sura, a section of the Koran that describes the evil of “idolatrous leaders”.

* Saudis come out against Temple Mount Saudi Twitter users say that Muslims should be praying only towards Mecca.

* Saudis Refutes Claim That Temple Mount Holy to Islam: Is it a Prophecy from the Zohar? As the “Palestinians” try to reestablish themselves with the new US president, many Arab nations, now politically aligned with Israel, are rejecting the Palestinian claim to the Temple Mount, saying it is insulting to Islam.

* Moscow’s troops could dominate NATO in Baltic region, top Polish general predicts… but Russia insists it’s just not interested In the event of war, Russia’s tanks could cut off the Baltic nations in just two days before setting their sights on the West, Warsaw’s former army chief has said. But Moscow officials say they’re not out for world domination.

* The Mullahs' Nuclear Weapons Game If the Western leaders know anything about the theocratic establishment of Iran, they would be able to see that the regime has used the Shia religion of Islam to justify repressing its population, killing, executing and sponsoring terror groups across the region.

* Turkey’s Growing Central Asian Influence Is an Opportunity for Joe Biden The role America hoped Turkey would have played in Central Asia after the fall of the Soviet Union is slowly becoming a reality.

* What Does Turkey Want From Iraqi Kurdistan? As Kurds are used to it, they face internal political divisions while their territories are once more wedged between regional and world powers, not least their powerful Turkish neighbor.

* Algeria: Two Christians get prison and heavy fine for ‘shaking the faith’ of Muslims with Christian literature It is a fragile and insecure faith that has to imprison and fine those who challenge it, rather than meeting them as equals on the battlefield of ideas.

3/8/21

 * Iranian Defense Minister threatens to raze Tel Aviv and Haifa Iran's Defense Minister: If Israel launches a preemptive attack on Iran, we will raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground.

* Iranian naval chief lays out warning to 'destabilizing forces' - IRNA The commander went on to further boast about the cooperation between the army, navy and the IRGC, claiming that it stands to deter any "destabilizing measures by interventionist forces," IRNA stated.

* Rouhani to Europe: Avoid threats in negotiations with Iran Iran's President meets Irish Foreign Minister, says the best way to solve problems is negotiations based on mutual respect.

* WATCH: Israeli jets escort American B-52 bombers in apparent ‘show of force’ to Iran Two American B-52 bombers have performed a strategic fly-by, accompanied by Israeli fighter jets, in a show of force “pivotal in maintaining the security of Israeli and Middle Eastern skies,” according to the IDF.

* PA: Jews are “defiling Jerusalem,” “invading the Al-Aqsa Mosque” when they visit the Temple Mount Did you know Jews are constantly “invading” and “defiling” the Al-Aqsa Mosque? At least that’s what the Palestinian Authority leaders want Palestinians to believe is happening when Jews visit the Temple Mount.

* Iraqi government prevents Jews from participating in Pope’s historic visit Iraqi-born Edwin Shuker: Baghdad wasted a historic opportunity to reconcile with its Jews by inviting them to attend the ceremony at Ur.

* The Shiite Crescent: The Middle East’s Arc of Crisis Iran’s hegemonic ambitions depend on an unbroken Shiite arc from Bahrain to Lebanon.

* Would Saudi Arabia Buy Weapons from Russia or China? Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will likely seek alternative arms suppliers if the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden follows through on canceling arms shipments to the Arab Gulf countries.

* A Storm Over the American Republic The atmosphere in the United States remains poisonous. Critics claim that stoking in the public is being done on purpose -- to create a false narrative that not only is Trump supposedly a "threat to democracy," but that his more than 74 million supporters are, too.

* 2021 on track to become record-breaking year of major earthquakes, volcanoes Though the past year has been replete with troubling news items that include a pandemic and hotly contested US Presidential election, the earth shaking beneath our feet seems to have gone unnoticed.

3/6/21

* Pope Francis denounces extremism on historic visit to Iraq Pope Francis has condemned extremism in the name of religion on a historic visit to Iraq where he discussed the plight of the Christian minority. 

* Why Iran’s ‘Nuclear Fatwa’ is Nuclear Nonsense Iran’s fatwa against building nuclear weapons is a myth.

* Biden team ‘disappointed’ as Iran demands US ‘kneel’ over sanctions relief Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s team is “disappointed” in Iran’s refusal to discuss the rehabilitation of the 2015 nuclear deal, as Tehran is deriding President Biden’s diplomatic concessions while demanding economic relief in advance of any talks.

* The Big War: Israel Can't Assume it Can Crush Iran in a Conflict What does all this prove?

* Israel is updating attack plans against Iran's nuclear sites - Gantz Hezbollah has “hundreds of thousands of missiles” Defense Minister tells Fox News on Thursday. “What is going to happen to Lebanon?”

* IDF: Hezbollah Likely to Initiate Limited Battles with Israel in 2021 The Israeli military anticipates that Hezbollah and other terror proxies will wage several limited rounds of violence, according to its annual intelligence assessment as reported in TOI.

* Continued Israeli airstrikes on Syria are testing Moscow’s patience, Jerusalem would do well not to poke the Russian bear How Russia responds to Israel's attacks on Iranian targets inside Syria could make all the difference as to whether the region boils over into full-scale war or continues to simmer at its current, already dangerous, level.

* Jordanian FM urges Israeli counterpart to reignite Palestinian peace process Ashkenazi holds meeting with Safadi in Jordanian territory to discuss multiple issues.

* Erdogan presents: The Directorate of Jerusalem and Umrah Affairs Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan changes the name of his country's Directorate of Religious Affairs, which is a government organ, to the "Directorate of Jerusalem and Umrah Affairs."

* Al-Qaeda: ‘Whoever thinks that somebody can stop the imminent collapse of America is mistaken’ Batarfi presents all the troubles that the U.S. is experiencing as punishment from Allah.

* Democrat Rep and Trump Impeachment Crusader: God's Will is No Concern for Congress Last Thursday, the House passed the controversial and horribly mistitled Equality Act, fulfilling a Biden campaign promise.

3/5/21

 * Israel is updating attack plans against Iran's nuclear sites - Gantz Hezbollah has “hundreds of thousands of missiles” Defense Minister tells Fox News on Thursday. “What is going to happen to Lebanon?”

* European countries drop planned condemnation of Iran France, Britain and Germany dropped resolution criticizing Iran for suspending some IAEA inspections.

* Toward a Palestinian State? The US Confers Legitimacy on the Palestinian Authority and Hamas Since taking office, the Biden administration has been in direct contact with Palestinian Authority leaders, encouraged and assisted by Israeli leftists who want to bring a Palestinian state into existence as quickly as possible.

* White House policy: No 'blank check' for Israel to pursue anti-American policies 'We will maintain our ironclad commitment to Israel's security, resume role as provider of viable two-state solution,' newly-released Biden document says.

* PLO says $15 million per month being paid in terror stipends Prisoners’ affairs chief tells ToI as much as $181 million paid in 2020; PA payments to security prisoners, terrorists’ families, has brought international criticism.

* Pope Francis on Iraq visit calls for end to violence and extremism Pope Francis has called for an end to violence and extremism, on the first ever papal visit to Iraq.

* Russia and Iran Sign an Intelligence Pact The Islamic Republic of Iran has experienced a number of serious counterintelligence failures over the years. Last month, Iran and Russia, a close ally of the Islamic regime, signed a pact that should assist it as it attempts to reform its counterintelligence.

* Iran on i24NEWS report: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain 'unlikely foolish enough' for defense pact with Israel Iran's ex-defense minister cited as warning that 'strong blows' will follow if Gulf states team up with Israel.

* Erdogan urges lifting U.S. sanctions on Iran, return to JCPOA Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that lifting U.S. sanctions on Iran over its nuclear work and returning to a 2015 nuclear deal will contribute to regional stability and economic prosperity.

* Macron said Covid-19 jabs would be optional… so a Europe-wide vaccine passport should be a reason for France to leave the EU It’s unacceptable that the EU is pushing big brother authoritarianism on its member states via vaccine passports. French President Emmanuel Macron should stay true to his word and take a stand against this nanny statism.