This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

President-elect Donald Trump has blasted the judge and his lawfare case in New York, in which Trump today was sentenced to an "unconditional discharge," as a waste of taxpayers' money and a "witch hunt" by Democrats against him.

It is Juan Merchan, a judge who allowed Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to bring his politicized charges against Trump, who announced Friday Trump's sentence, no jail, no fines and no probation.

"The Radical Democrats have lost another pathetic, unAmerican Witch Hunt. After spending tens of millions of dollars, wasting over 6 years of obsessive work that should have been spent on protecting New Yorkers from violent, rampant crime that is destroying the City and State, coordinating with the Biden/Harris Department of Injustice in lawless Weaponization, and bringing completely baseless, illegal, and fake charges against your 45th and 47th President, ME, I was given an UNCONDITIONAL DISCHARGE," Trump wrote on social media.

"That result alone proves that, as all Legal Scholars and Experts have said, THERE IS NO CASE, THERE WAS NEVER A CASE, and this whole Scam fully deserves to be DISMISSED. The real Jury, the American People, have spoken, by Re-Electing me with an overwhelming MANDATE in one of the most consequential Elections in History. As the American People have seen, this 'case' had no crime, no damages, no proof, no facts, no Law, only a highly conflicted Judge, a star witness who is a disbarred, disgraced, serial perjurer, and criminal Election Interference.

"Today's event was a despicable charade, and now that it is over, we will appeal this Hoax, which has no merit, and restore the trust of Americans in our once great System of Justice. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

Legal experts have suggested the case lacks any merit and eventually the conviction will be thrown out. In fact, federal prosecutors reviewed the facts earlier, and decided there were no grounds for charges against Trump.

Merchan, who has a record of financially supporting Democrat candidates and whose daughter was making money from Democrats while her father was ruling against Trump in his courtroom, announced the sentence in the case labeled "hush money" by legacy media.

In it, Bragg claimed business reporting errata by Trump's companies amounted to felonies, even though they ordinarily would have been misdemeanors for which the statute of limitations had expired.

Bragg said they were felonies because they were in pursuit of some other, unidentified, crime. In fact, jurors failed to identify that crime, and Merchan inexplicably said their verdict didn't have to be unanimous in the case that was just one prong of Democrats' multi-jurisdiction lawfare campaign, a failed effort to use various created civil and criminal cases to keep him from running for president again.

Bragg brought to court, and Merchan allowed, salacious testimony from a former porn star and a discredited lawyer in order to convince jurors in the leftist enclave of Manhattan, which repeatedly has voted by vast majorities against Trump, to convicted Trump of 34 counts.

The issue was that Trump's lawyer paid the porn star for silence about an alleged affair both denied happened. The payments made to the lawyer were labeled as legal expenses.

George Washington University law professor, and constitutional expert, Jonathan Turley, said the case will "will cement the image of Trump for many in the country as a 'victim of lawfare.'"

Merchan, who analysts have suggested is thumbing his nose at the Supreme Court's recent immunity ruling regarding the Trump cases, recently assumed the pulpit to lecture Trump over his "disdain for the third branch of government."

He accused Trump of going to "great lengths to broadcast on social media and other forums his lack of respect for judges, juries, grand juries and the justice system as a whole."

That "disdain" from Trump followed a years-long series of lawfare cases assembled by Democrats who appeared to be trying to jail him to keep him from running for the White House again.

For example, multiple charges were filed over the government documents Trump held after he left the presidency. However, federal prosecutors found Joe Biden liable for the same offense, but gave him a free pass for his actions. One jurisdiction even claimed an "organized crime" conspiracy involved Trump.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

A judge in New York has used Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's lawfare case against President-elect Donald Trump to sentence the 45th, and soon-to-be 47th president, to a "discharge."

The sentence is a penalty without jail time or probation, but a move to keep the conviction on Trump's record, a conviction that a long list of constitutional experts expect eventually will be thrown out.

The judge claimed the unconditional discharge ruling was the only legal sentence he had available.

Trump told the judge he was completely innocent, and had done nothing wrong.

The actual appeal process has not been able to start yet because of the lack of a final sentencing from the lower court.

It is Juan Merchan, who has a record of financially supporting Democrat candidates and whose daughter was making money from Democrats while her father was ruling against Trump in his courtroom, who announced the sentence in the case labeled "hush money" by legacy media.

In it, Bragg claimed business reporting errata by Trump's companies amounted to felonies, even though they ordinarily would have been misdemeanors for which the statute of limitations had expired.

Bragg said they were felonies because they were in pursuit of some other, unidentified, crime. In fact, jurors failed to identify that crime, and Merchan inexplicably said their verdict didn't have to be unanimous in the case that was just one prong of Democrats' multi-jurisdiction lawfare campaign, a failed effort to use various created civil and criminal cases to keep him from running for president again.

Bragg brought to court, and Merchan allowed, salacious testimony from a former porn star and a discredited lawyer in order to convince jurors in the leftist enclave of Manhattan, which repeatedly has voted by vast majorities against Trump, to convicted Trump of 34 counts.

The issue was that Trump's lawyer paid the porn star for silence about an alleged affair both denied happened. The payments made to the lawyer were labeled as legal expenses.

The Supreme Court just hours earlier had allowed the sentencing to move forward, on a narrow 5-4 vote. Trump had urged the justices to halt the court date, as his pending appeal will "ultimately result in the dismissal of the District Attorney's politically motivated prosecution that was flawed from the very beginning, centered around the wrongful actions and false claims of a disgraced, disbarred serial-liar former attorney, violated President Trump's due process rights, and had no merit."

George Washington University law professor, and constitutional expert, Jonathan Turley, explained Merchan had orchestrated a tight timeline that gave Trump minimal options to challenge his courtroom antics.

"This is what some of us predicted when the appeals just began. Merchan really played this perfectly, and I say that not as a compliment. He knew that he was giving President-elect Trump very little runway by which to take an appeal off," Turley told Laura Ingraham on Fox. "He also knew that appellate courts generally prefer for sentences to be finalized to review the case as a whole, and he played those two cards to guarantee that he'll be able to sentence President Trump…"

He said the situation will cement the image of Trump for many in the country as a "victim of lawfare."

Turley said the Supreme Court vote shows "how troubling the case is overall. That what this trial-level judge has done in Manhattan is to hold a presidential candidate first, now a president-elect, to his courtroom on a short leash. This is the same judge that gagged the leading candidate for president in a campaign where his case was one of the issues of most concern with voters. And it obviously is an equal concern among at least four justices," Turley said.

WND has reported the case is being handled by a "deeply conflicted" Merchan.

Merchan, who analysts have suggested is thumbing his nose at the Supreme Court's recent immunity ruling regarding the Trump cases, recently assumed the pulpit to lecture Trump over his "disdain for the third branch of government."

He accused Trump of going to "great lengths to broadcast on social media and other forums his lack of respect for judges, juries, grand juries and the justice system as a whole."

That "disdain" from Trump followed a years-long series of lawfare cases assembled by Democrats who appeared to be trying to jail him to keep him from running for the White House again.

For example, multiple charges were filed over the government documents Trump held after he left the presidency. However, federal prosecutors found Joe Biden liable for the same offense, but gave him a free pass for his actions. One jurisdiction even claimed an "organized crime" conspiracy involved Trump.

Experts have noted the Merchan trial itself was "replete with layers of reversible error."

Federal authorities earlier had looked at the same evidence Bragg used, and had decided there was no basis for any charges against Trump.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg previously has admitted in a letter to Congress that the Joe Biden administration pushed and coerced his company in order to get ideas the leftist Democrats didn't like censored.

And he's said he regretted his company didn't push back harder on censorship schemes that attacked Americans' First Amendment rights to discuss alternative COVID-19 treatments, their doubts about the integrity of the 2020 presidential election and much more.

Now he's confirmed in an interview that Biden administration officials screamed and swore at his employees in order to bully and bludgeon them into complying with Biden's agenda.

The Daily Mail reported details about the horrific behavior of Biden officials was detailed in Zuckerberg's interview with Joe Rogan.

Zuckerberg, chief of Meta which is the parent company of Facebook, said he "was stunned" when the White House contacted Facebook "to demand a photo of Leonardo DiCaprio pointing at a TV in his movie 'Once Upon A Time in Hollywood' was taken down."

The Democrats, he explained, were upset by the caption, which said, "10 years from now you're going to see an ad that says if you took a Covid vaccine you'd be eligible for a payment."

Zuckerberg has moved away, politically, from the Democrats in recent weeks, with the admission about the coercion from the White House, followed by his decision to eliminate the team of left-leaning "fact-checkers" his company long has used, and replace them with a "community notes" option to enhance free speech.

He also confirmed that Biden's staff "would demand the platform censor information that was accurate, including that COVID vaccines can cause side effects."

Biden's staff "pushed us super hard to take down things that were honestly true," he confirmed.

In fact, the mRNA shots mandated by many governments and corporations during the pandemic do, in fact, have the possibility of causing side effects, up to and including death through myocarditis and more.

Zuckerberg said a "turning point for his approach to censorship under Biden came when the president publicly said social media memes combatting his pandemic narrative were 'killing people.'" He said "all these different agencies and branches" of government started investigating him.

Zuckerberg questioned whether the Biden threats were legal.

The Washington Examiner reported Zuckerberg noted he wasn't on the receiving end of the coercion directly, as the calls went to his company.

But he confirmed Biden staff members would call Meta workers and "scream at them and curse."

 

The confirmation was coming from Zuckerberg just as Rep. Dan Goldman, a Democrat from New York, wildly claimed that allowing free speech on Facebook violated the Constitution's First Amendment.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

President-elect Donald Trump has made it clear, over and over, that he's intending to make changes in government as soon as he's inaugurated.

That same day. Jan. 20.

After all, Trump repeatedly has pointed out the failings in the Joe Biden border policies, his economic policies, his transgender politics, his foreign affairs policies and much, much more.

For some changes, he'll need congressional action. For others, he will use his executive order authority to change some of Biden's executive order actions.

Now a report from the Washington Examiner says Trump and his advisers have informed Republican senators there is work being done on 100 orders for action as soon as he is sworn in.

"The orders will focus on immigration, a topic Trump has been adamant about fixing while campaigning for the presidency," the report documented.

"He says he has almost 100 executive orders that will go a long way to securing the border again and also put the energy sector back in play," Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said Thursday on a Fox network broadcast.

The senator did say some of the orders will need congressional action eventually, so they cannot later be reversed.

"I'd like reconciliation so we can start making this up into legislation, so we can move forward," the senator said.

Among actions that are expected are the restoration of Title 42, a Trump plan to expel migrants arriving at the southern border. Trump used this during his first administration, but the national security action was abandoned by Joe Biden.

Also expected to return is Trump's "Remain in Mexico" plan.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

A handful of Colorado Republicans in the state legislature have registered a protest vote by refusing to join the certification of the 2024 election.

According to Denver Gazette, Reps. Ken DeGraaf and Scott Bottoms of Colorado Springs, Brandi Bradley of Littleton, Stephanie Luck of Penrose, Ron Weinberg of Loveland, and Representative-elect Larry Don Suckla of Cortez refused to join the majority in the state House in certifying the results.

They explained a problem created by the state secretary of state's office made it impossible to determine whether the results were accurate.

Secretary of State Jen Griswold admitted that some passwords to the state's voting machines were posted online for weeks in a spreadsheet.

The calamity came to the attention of the public when Republicans noticed the problem and called out Griswold.

She blamed an office employee.

And while an investigation was sought, the local prosecutor refused to bring any charges for the violation of election protocol.

A Democrat, Andrew Boesenecker, from Fort Collins, said in the report a law firm's investigation found there was no tampering with the voting machines.

A majority of the House members, and the Senate unanimously, adopted the results.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

A federal judge has blocked Jack Smith, who acted as a federal special counsel even though he never was confirmed by the Senate, from releasing his final arguments and rantings against President-elect Donald Trump, at least temporarily.

Smith was in charge of two fronts of the Democrats' lawfare against Trump: the dispute over Trump's possession of certain documents after his presidency and his opinions about the failings of the 2020 presidential election tabulation.

It is Just the News that explained it is Judge Aileen Cannon who said Smith could not release his "final report" on his attacks on Trump for now.

"Cannon delayed the release until the court has time to review an emergency motion Monday that made such a request from two Trump co-defendants," the report said.

At issue are Smith's already-widely publicized opinions about Trumps actions and comments about the 2020 election and his possession of classified documents.

Smith had planned to release his opinions just as Trump is preparing to resume occupancy of the White House on Jan. 20.

Trump's lawyers also told Attorney General Merrick Garland that the decision should be left to the incoming administration. Also, Trump co-defendants Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira said Smith does not have the authority to serve as special counsel and should not have access to the materials in the report.

That's based on the fact that Smith was in private practice before suddenly being named special counsel, a position that needs confirmation from the Senate, which he never got.

Both cases have been suspended and essentially are dead, given presidential immunity rulings and precedents, leaving Smith, who is expected to leave his post soon, without options other than to try to lobby the public through his claims against Trump.

To prevent "harm," Cannon, a judge in Florida, ruled that Smith is "temporarily enjoined" from "releasing, sharing, or transmitting the Final Report or any drafts of such Report outside the Justice Department."

Typically special counsels report to the attorney general, not necessarily the public, anyway.

Cannon's decision remains in effect until three days after a resolution is announced from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

A report in Forbes said Smith, in preparation for his departure, drafted a "final report" regarding his opinions about Trump.

The report said Trump's lawyers told Merrick the report should remain private, or it should be left to Trump's incoming DOJ.

The report noted most of Smith's claims about Trump have been publicized already, including in multiple court filings just before the election, when any information that might have been damaging would have had the highest level of impact.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

JERUSALEM – Middle East/Israel Morning Brief

Trump plans crippling sanctions on International Criminal Court

BREAKING: President-elect Donald Trump plans to impose severe sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) immediately after taking office, targeting its personnel and operations. The sanctions will freeze U.S.-based assets, restrict financial activities, and classify the… pic.twitter.com/h1YfjJf2gk

— Awesome Jew (@JewsAreTheGOAT) January 5, 2025

 

President-elect Donald Trump is thought to be planning devastating sanctions on the International Criminal Court immediately after his inauguration, with some sources suggesting an executive order could be forthcoming as soon as Jan. 21.

The sanctions package will target both individual ICC personnel, including judges and prosecutors, and the institution as a whole, Israel Hayom reported. The administration intends to classify the ICC as an organization threatening U.S. interests, employing designation procedures similar to those used by the U.S. State Department for terrorist organizations globally. This designation will trigger severe restrictions on anyone involved with the court's operations.

Financial institutions worldwide will be required to terminate relationships with ICC personnel or face U.S. sanctions themselves. Mirroring actions taken against sanctioned Israeli citizens by the outgoing administration, ICC staff will find themselves unable to perform routine banking operations or use credit cards. Their economic activities will be effectively frozen, with exceptions only for essential needs such as food purchases. Furthermore, all U.S.-based assets belonging to ICC employees and the institution will be frozen.

The Trump team is taking a hard line against the international court over its issuance of arrest warrants for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant for the IDFs conduct during the 15-month war with Hamas in Gaza.

Iranian foreign minister: Another attack on our soil will cause 'all-out-war'

 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke in a wide-ranging interview on China's CCTV about many different facets of the country's foreign policy. He said diplomacy and battlefield strategies must align as Tehran seeks to maintain its military power despite significant regional setbacks, reported Iran International.

"We are fully prepared for the possibility of further Israeli attacks," he said."I hope Israel will refrain from taking such reckless action, as it could lead to a large-scale war."

Amid speculation that Israel may escalate its response to ballistic missile and drone attacks by Iran's allies, Araghchi cautioned against the potential consequences of such actions. However, he underscored Iran's preference for diplomacy, highlighting the importance of reason in preventing conflict. "We believe that reason will ultimately prevail and prevent actions that could have serious consequences," he told the broadcaster.

3 dead, 9 wounded in Samaria shooting terrorist attack

 

A shooting terrorist attack on Monday next to the Samarian town of Kedumim, left three Israelis dead and nine wounded. The attack was filmed on a nearby security camera.

The car carrying the terrorists parks facing the road as it waits, one terrorist is seen exiting a car on the passenger's side carrying a rifle and another man is seen standing by the trunk of the car before the attack is launched and the two return into the vehicle and drive off.

Elad Winkelstein, a police officer and a father of two was identified as one of the victims of the murderous terrorist attack, reported Ynet. He managed to shoot at the terrorists before being hit in the head by a bullet. The names of two other victims, women in their 60s, have not yet been released for publication.

HTS fighters clash with Hezbollah operatives in Syria

 

Violent clashes erupted over the weekend between forces of the Syrian Ministry of Defense, which is controlled by the country's former HTS rebels, and Hezbollah terrorists. The clashes took place in the countryside west of Damascus, near the Syrian-Lebanese border, according to a report in the Jewish Press.

Hezbollah terrorists, with the help of drug traffickers with whom they have been cooperating, attempted to establish new positions in Syria. In response, the Syrian Ministry of Defense sent military reinforcements to thwart their attempts.

The sectarian violence, which seemed to have had a lid placed upon its combustible mix while Syria's former president Assad was still in charge, has been blown wide open again since his lightning-quick ouster. Syria's de facto ruling party is Sunni, with many of its fighters having fought bitter previous battles against Hezbollah's Shia militants.

Israeli intelligence missed explicit warning about Hamas' plans for Oct. 7 attack

 

Serious allegations were raised on Sunday regarding whether Israel's intelligence services missed explicit Hamas warnings on its Telegram channel about the kind of operation it had planned for Oct. 7, 2023.

Had posts published on Hamas-affiliated Telegram channels weeks prior to the Oct. 7 massacre been analyzed and monitored in Israel, the outcome of the events could have been very different, Lt.-Col. (res.) Jonathan Dahoah-Halevi argued in an article published recently by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, reported the Jerusalem Post.

At the center of Dahoah-Halevi's analysis is the figure of Maam Rashid al-Masri, also known as "Abu Hafs." Al-Masri, a Hamas Nukhba terrorist, (Hamas' elite commando unit) managed the Telegram channel named "Military Tactics" and co-founded the "Al-Qassam Brigades Dispatch" channel.

These channels were neither secret nor hidden – they were open and accessible to all. The "Military Tactics" Telegram channel even shared professional content showcasing the organization's level of preparedness and operational capabilities.

Israeli soldier who survived Nova festival massacre flees Brazil after fears of arrest warrant

 

A reserve IDF soldier who was vacationing in Brazil successfully managed to flee the country with his traveling companions after receiving a warning from Israel's Foreign Ministry that a federal court in Brazil was authorizing a criminal investigation into his actions while serving in Gaza.

Judge Raquel Soares Charelli authorized the probe on Dec. 30, according to news site Metrópoles. The reports in Brazilian media did not name the Israeli, who was a survivor of the Nova music festival massacre, and who according to Israeli media reports fled the country. He was wanted for actions allegedly taken during his military service in the Israel Defense Forces, reported the Jewish News Syndicate.

Yuli Edelstein, chair of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said in response to the Brazilian move that he would convene a classified discussion into the prosecution of Israelis abroad. "I am embarrassed for Brazil and its government, who surrendered to the pro-Palestinian legal terrorism," the statement continued.

Blinken: Hamas backtracked when it saw pressure applied to Israel

 

The New York Times published an interview with outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken, in which he said, Hamas has refused to agree to release the hostages in exchange for a ceasefire for two reasons.

In his words, "There have been two major impediments, and they both go to what drives Hamas. One has been whenever there has been public daylight between the United States and Israel and the perception that pressure was growing on Israel, we've seen it: Hamas has pulled back from agreeing to a ceasefire and the release of hostages, wrote Caroline Glick on the Jewish News Syndicate.

"The other thing that got Hamas to pull back was their belief, their hope that there would be a wider conflict, that Hezbollah would attack Israel, that Iran would attack Israel, that other actors would attack Israel, and that Israel would have its hands full and Hamas could continue what it was doing."

Under harsh questioning from the Times' anti-Israel reporter Lulu Garcia-Navarro, Blinken revealed U.S. pressure on Israel began immediately after Oct. 7, 2023, and became a central feature of U.S. policy in relation to the war from its very earliest days. From the outset, the provision of unlimited supplies to Gaza – euphemistically referred to as humanitarian aid – has been the constant focus of U.S. pressure on Israel.

IDF on high-alert over fears of Iran taking 'extreme steps'

 

Israel's military is said to be in the highest state of preparedness in the coming days, as IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi warned about Iran's unpredictability as the country is roiled by a number of both internal and external factors.

The report, citing unnamed defense sources, says the caution comes as Iran faces multiple challenges following setbacks in Lebanon and Syria, according to the Times of Israel. It also points to Iran's plunging exchange rate, infrastructure problems and political unrest.

The sources also note the uncertainty for Iran ahead of the return of Donald Trump to the White House later this month.

Netanyahu receives 14-day medical reprieve from providing trial testimony as he recovers from surgery

 

The Tel Aviv District Court granted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a 14-day postponement of his testimony in his corruption trial as he recovers from prostate removal surgery, reported the Jewish News Syndicate.

Netanyahu is facing bribery and breach-of-trust charges in three cases, labeled 1000, 2000 and 4000. The latter is the most serious, and the only one featuring bribery charges.

The judges wrote that other witnesses for the defense would testify during the 14-day period, according to Israel's Channel 14. The prosecution reportedly insisted that during that period Netanyahu observe the orders of his physicians, which have not been made public. Netanyahu underwent the surgery on Dec. 29 and was discharged from hospital on Jan. 2.

Iran increasing weaponry supply to Houthis in Yemen to maintain pressure on Israel

 

The Iran-backed Houthi forces have intensified their missile attacks, forcing hundreds of thousands of Israelis to seek shelter in the dead of night, deterring foreign airlines, and sustaining what may be the final major front in the ongoing Middle East conflicts, according to the Jewish Press.

Last Thursday, the Houthis launched their sixth missile attack on Israel in one week, with the strikes becoming increasingly frequent despite intense Israeli air raids targeting the group's critical infrastructure.

Iranian news outlets repeat the Houthis' jovial announcements of victory against the Jewish state, and on Sunday morning quoted the spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces Brig.-Gen. Yahya Saree that the YAF missile force carried out a military operation targeting the Orot Rabin power plant in Hadera.

Syrian leader asks U.S. to pressure Israel to retreat

 

Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, is urging the United States to put pressure on Israel to withdraw from the buffer zone it established on the border, including the Syrian section of Mount Hermon, according to All Israel news.

Israeli authorities stated they have received no formal communication regarding the request, but an official told Israeli channel Kan the country "would not compromise its security."

According to the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, Israel sees al-Jolani as a terrorist who is likely to act against Israel, with senior Israeli security officials describing him as a "wolf in sheep's clothing."

"The reality in Syria hasn't stabilized," stated Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar. "The regime in Damascus is essentially a gang – not a legitimate government. Other areas, like Idlib, are controlled by Islamist groups with extreme ideologies."

Al-Sharaa has attempted to promote a more kindly face to his nascent administration, allegedly disavowing the more extreme Islamic radicalism of previous years. Outwardly it seems to have worked on some – many viewing him as an imperfect improvement on the butcher Assad – although Israel is certainly not one of those.

UNRWA denies report it will stop operating in Gaza, Judea and Samaria

 

UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, strongly denied a recent report it is preparing to end its activities in the Gaza Strip and Judea and Samaria, in light of Knesset legislation passed that bans the organization's activities on Israeli soil, Ynet reported.

The denial comes after the report in the New York Times on Friday, which claimed that the agency "is preparing to close its activities due to new Israeli restrictions."

The report quoted Louise Wateridge, a senior UNRWA official, as saying the law would undermine the necessary coordination with Israel to deliver aid to the territories. According to her, "the lives of our staff will be at risk" if information is not shared with Israeli authorities.

Closing the operation "would be a massive impact on an already catastrophic situation," added Jamie McGoldrick, who was in charge of U.N. aid operations in Gaza and Judea and Samaria until April. "If that is what the Israeli intention is – to remove any ability for us to save lives – you have to question what is the thinking and what is the end goal?"

'Free Iran', 'Woman Life Freedom' slogans sprayed on walls of Iran's Damascus embassy

 

Bahar Ghandehari, an activist who opposes the Iranian regime, posted a video on Saturday that shows her spray-painting "free Iran" and "woman, life, freedom" on the outside walls of the Iranian embassy in Damascus.

"I left a message for the criminal Iranian regime on its embassy in Damascus," she wrote. "For 14 years, the Iranian regime propped up Assad's dictatorship, crushing the Syrian revolution for freedom. Today, Assad and Khamenei are out of Syria. Soon, Iran will be free too."

Jonathan Harounoff, international spokesman for the Israeli mission to the United Nations in New York, told JNS that the messages that Ghandehari wrote on the building are "significant."

"Like the people of Iran who, unlike their brutal regime, seek peace and prosperity, we're seeing signs of ordinary Syrians disavowing the actions of the Iran-backed Assad regime and murderous 'axis of resistance' in pursuit of liberty and peace," he said.

Israeli government outlines $1 billion framework to start returning residents of the North by March 1

 

The Finance Ministry on Sunday presented a NIS 3.4 billion ($934 million) compensation plan to help bring thousands of evacuated residents of Israel's battered northern communities back home in early March, after more than a year of fighting with Hezbollah, reported the Times of Israel.

"The key to returning home is security and we are not going to compromise on this matter," Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said, at a press conference in Jerusalem. "Residents of the north are returning to a different security reality, and we will make sure that quiet is maintained for years."

The announcement of the return-to-home plan comes after extended delays and numerous complaints from residents of Israel's northern communities, who have been internally displaced for more than a year.

Are Afghanistan and Pakistan about to go to war with each other?

 

Afghanistan, led by the Taliban, and Pakistan appear to be heading towards war, highlighting the dangers of supporting erratic, unpredictable elements, according to a report in Israel Hayom.

Just a week ago, at least 46 people were killed and six injured in Pakistan's airstrikes in Afghanistan's eastern Paktika Province. The Taliban government condemned the attack, claiming most victims were refugees from Waziristan, and vowed retaliation. Meanwhile, Pakistani security officials, speaking anonymously to the AP, said the operation aimed to dismantle a training facility and eliminate insurgents in the area.

The tensions between these two nations have deep historical roots, and the current escalation is merely the surface of a long-standing rivalry divided by a contentious border.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Hakeem Jeffries, the Democrats' failed nominee to be House Speaker in a GOP-majority House, unleashed a comment that might have to be interpreted as the party's political plan for the next few years, with Donald Trump in the White House and GOP majorities in the House and Senate.

"We will fart hard, fight hard for the freedom to vote," he said.

"Let's hope for America's sake Jeffries does not succeed in keeping his latest promise," chuckled a commentary at the Gateway Pundit.

The House election of Republican Mike Johnson to the leadership post "also means Jeffries has now lost 20 CONSECUTIVE votes for Speaker of the House," the report said.

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Military records reveal possible links between two New Year's Day terrorists: They both served at Fort Bragg in North Carolina during their service careers.

A report at the Gateway Pundit documents the intersections that may have occurred between Shamsud Din Jabbar, 42, who rented a Ford pickup truck and drove it through a New Orleans crowd, killing 15 and injuring dozens, and Matthew Livelsberger, 37, of Colorado Springs, who detonated a rented Tesla truck in Las Vegas, killing himself and injuring a handful of passersby.

In addition to both terrorists having military careers, they also both rented their trucks from the Turo app, the report said.

Tony Kovaleski, a reporter for Denver's Channel 7, said, "Sources also confirming Livelsberger served at the same military base as the terrorist responsible for the attack in New Orleans and authorities are investigating a possible connection between the two men."

The New Orleans attack involved a truck being through a Bourbon Street crowd, leaving behind 15 dead and dozens with injuries. The driver died when he jumped out of the truck and started shooting at people, and police returned fire.

In the Las Vegas violence, reports say the vehicle's bed contained a combination of fireworks, gas tanks, and camping fuel, and the truck exploded when it apparently was triggered by the driver, who died.

An ISIS flag was found at the scene of the New Orleans attack.

Joe Biden said federal law enforcement members are investigating and tracking the incidents and any connections.

Speaking after the Las Vegas blast, he said. "Law enforcement and the intelligence community are investigating this as well, including whether there is any possible connection with the attack in New Orleans."

He said, "Thus far there is nothing to report on that score for this time."

This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

There were multiple indicators, including the ISIS flag on Shamsud Din Jabbar's truck after he drove through crowds in New Orleans early New Year's Day and killed 15, injuring dozens more, of his political and theological persuasions.

For one, authorities report he had wanted to hurt his family but was concerned those actions to distract the media from what he considered more important: the battle between "believers & disbelievers," a phrase adherents to Islam use to differentiate themselves from others.

But the suspect's brother now has confirmed that while Shamsud Din Jabbar was "Christian" early in life, he had converted to Islam a long time ago.

Fox News notes that Abdur Jabbar, 24, was interviewed in Beaumont, Texas, "where he and Shamsud Din Jabbar, 42, grew up."

He confirmed the "now-deceased suspect had converted to Islam," and was a Muslim "for most of his life."

However, the brother claimed that the violence inflicted by the 42-year-old did not "represent Islam."

"This is more some type of radicalization, not religion," he explained.

The report noted that a next-door neighbor to the Jabbar residence also said Shamsud Din Jabbar had been loading lightweight items in the white pickup truck he used for the attack on Tuesday.

"He said he spoke with Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who told him he had gotten a job and was moving to Louisiana. The neighbor said he was under the impression Shamsud-Din Jabbar had gotten another job in IT," the report explained.

The neighbor said he was shocked on learning Shamsud Din Jabbar was suspected of the mass murder in New Orleans.

Authorities have said Shamsud Din Jabbar drove a rented pickup carrying an ISIS flag into a crowed of New York revelers early Wednesday morning.

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