LEBANON - Iran-backed terror group that could join war in the region is ten times stronger than Hamas, with 200,000 missiles, rockets and mortars. Since Hamas launched its ruthless attacks on Israeli towns and cities on October 7, Israel's Defence Forces have conducted a non-stop bombardment of the Gaza Strip designed to grind down the terrorist cells ahead of a planned ground assault. But while tens of thousands of Israeli troops, battalions of tanks and heavy artillery begin to mass along the border with Gaza, many fear that the real threat is found 125 miles to the north.

ISRAEL - Israel stopped issuing visas to UN officials Wednesday, a day after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appeared to say Hamas’s murderous October 7 assault on southern Israel was brought on by Israeli occupation. The development came as Israeli officials continued to rail against the UN chief and demand his apology or resignation, with a senior lawmaker branding his words “truly insane” and adding that they were fanning the flames of antisemitism. The chairman of Jerusalem’s Yad Vashem Holocaust museum accused Guterres of having “failed the test” of the refrain “Never again.”

IRAN - Iran’s president on Tuesday expressed regret at a “lack of unity” among Muslim countries in response to the war between its arch-foe Israel and Gaza’s rulers Hamas. Ebrahim Raisi said greater coordination across the Muslim world could have stopped Israel’s ongoing bombing of the Gaza Strip, which followed Hamas terrorists’ brutal attacks that killed some 1,400 people in Israeli territory, most of them civilians.

USA - The Pentagon is deploying two carrier strike groups, eleven Burke-class destroyers, a number of Ticonderoga-class cruisers, amphibious assault ships, THAAD and Patriot missile defense systems, multiple squadrons of fighter jets, strategic bombers, and undisclosed assets to the Middle East. The Pentagon expects Iranian proxies to continue to target US troops in the region and has already stated that they will respond "decisively." What's the probability that this escalates into a war between the United States and Iran?

USA - Really bad policies lead to really bad consequences, and our leaders have been making absolutely disastrous decisions for decades. As a result, the streets of America are now teeming with thieves, drug addicts, prostitutes, violent criminals and sexual predators. We have raised an entire generation of young Americans that has no moral foundation whatsoever, and every day we are adding even more immigrants from third world countries to the mix. Many of those immigrants have no intention of following our laws, and they are fueling the explosive growth of criminal gangs all over the nation. On top of everything else, the war in the Middle East threatens to spark an unprecedented wave of domestic terror attacks here in the United States. Millions of radical Muslims now live in this country, and when the time comes many of them will not hesitate to commit acts of violence.

ISRAEL - Fighting appears to be ramping back up as Hamas launched a massive rocket barrage at Israel, wounding five and sending more than one million running for shelter. Israelis were wounded in separate incidents in Holon, Tel Aviv, Kfar Saba, Be'er Yaakov, and Yavne while the barrage sent more than one million running for cover. All of the wounded were said to be lightly injured. Sirens were also heard in the northern towns of Elkosh and Netua near the border with Lebanon. Israel said it targeted three terror cells and a Hezbollah position in southern Lebanon earlier today. The Iranian-backed terror group has been sporadically exchanging fire with the IDF since Hamas attacked on October 7. Although Israel's Iron Dome air defense system typically destroys many of the incoming rockets, it can be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of projectiles fired.

ISRAEL - Gaza terrorists have fired Hamas's "powerful new weapon" at an Israeli resort town full of innocent civilians in the latest escalation in the ongoing conflict. The attack has been carried out by the Al-Qassam Brigades - the military wing of Hamas and thought to be the largest and best-equipped group operating within Gaza today - according to a post on Telegram. The group pounded the resort town of Eilat with an Ayyash 250 missile - considered to be the longest-range missile in Hamas's arsenal. This Telegram post, translated from Iranian, read: "Al-Qassam Brigades bombard 'Eilat' with an A,yyash 250 missile in response to the Zionist massacres against innocent civilians."

IRAN - Iranian and US relations are threatening to boil over to the point where a much bigger conflict could erupt across the Middle East. There are fears of a full-scale "apocalyptic" Middle East conflict triggered by Iran becoming directly involved in the Israel and Hamas [conflict] as tensions with the US skyrocket. The US has been quick to condemn the Hamas attacks on Israel and is building a massive military presence in the Middle East as it looks to send a strong message to Iran to stay out of the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas.

MIDDLE EAST - The Israel-Hamas conflict, characterized as a 'black swan event' in the oil market, holds the potential to propel oil prices to $150 per barrel. This possibility is rooted in the specter of regional entanglement, particularly involving Iran. Apprehensions surround Iran's potential support for Hamas through advanced weaponry, further escalating the conflict. Moreover, Iran's influence on Hezbollah may open a second front against Israel, possibly prompting Israeli strikes on Iran. In response, Iran could opt to close the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil passage. Such an act would disrupt oil supplies, leading to price surges and contributing to inflation via increased energy costs.

ISRAEL - Netanyahu has drawn the ire of Israel's military chiefs by delaying the invasion of Gaza to eliminate Hamas, with western allies in the EU pushing for a ceasefire. Israel's Prime Minister clashed with leading figures in the country's defence forces over his decision to delay the incursion, which his military chiefs are said to be eager to start, the Telegraph reports. Meanwhile some member states within the European Union have pushed for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and terror group Hamas in order to deliver more humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians in the besieged Gaza Strip. Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, said he backed a call by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for a 'humanitarian pause', and added that it would give leaders more time to negotiate the release of the more than 200 hostages held captive by Hamas.

VATICAN - In what’s being touted as a first for a Jewish organization, the World Jewish Congress advocacy group opened an office in Vatican City to liaise with Catholic leaders and further Catholic-Jewish relations. WJC President Ronald Lauder visited Pope Francis while inaugurating the organization’s “representative office to the Holy See” on Thursday. Lauder, a billionaire heir to the Estée Lauder fortune and a longtime Republican donor, presented the pope with a document the WJC called “Kishreinu,” meaning “our bond” in Hebrew. The document “encapsulates the intricate historical and cultural tapestry binding Jewish and Catholic communities around the globe,” the WJC said in a press release.

USA - Titanium dioxide is the most widely used whitening pigment in the world and has been linked to adverse health effects, particularly genotoxicity and intestinal inflammation. It is applied as food coloring and a whitening agent to a wide variety of foods, including chewing gum, cakes, candies, breads and ice cream. Because of health risks, France banned titanium dioxide as a food additive in 2020. Two years later the European Union also banned titanium dioxide as a food additive. But in the US, titanium dioxide is found all over the grocery shelves. Candy like Skittles, Starbursts, and Jell-O, gum like Trident White peppermint gum and Mentos Freshmint Gum, cake products like Duncan Hines Creamy Vanilla Frosting, and Nabisco Chips Ahoy! cookies are just a few of the myriad food items that contain the additive. When used as a food coloring, it is known as E171.

AUSTRALIA - Religion is increasingly being associated with bigotry and intolerance, yet proposed law changes discriminate against believers. The last census in Australia indicates that, while Christianity is still the answer most people give when asked about their religion, it is in sharp decline, and ‘no religion’ is a close second. This is not really about celebrating ‘diversity’ but separating people along the lines of gender, religion, ethnicity, and so forth. It does so by treating society as a collection of separate groups that are dependent upon government-managed responses to diversity.

ISRAEL - Israel will not conduct a ground operation in Gaza if Hamas surrenders “unconditionally” and frees all its hostages, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus has said. If the looming offensive goes ahead, however, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant estimates that it could take up to three months. In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Monday, Conricus dodged a question as to why Israel appears to be delaying its ground operation. Instead, the spokesman simply vowed that the Israeli military would “dismantle Hamas totally” and “bring our people home.” He explained that Israel would prefer to rely on airstrikes and avoid exposing its troops to danger unnecessarily. He suggested, however, that such an approach may prove insufficient to root out the militant group.

ISRAEL - The 45th American cargo plane supplying Israel with armaments reached Ramon Airport in southern Israel over the weekend, the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced. The United States began supplying Israel with military aid when the war against Hamas began on October 7 and has brought around 1,000 tons of weaponry so far, including a diverse range of offensive and defensive armaments. The cargo plane that landed in Israel on Friday transported a wide array of military supplies, including military ambulances, medical equipment for IDF use, and various other resources aimed at enhancing readiness capabilities. The procurement orders align with the IDF’s specific needs and encompass a diverse array of specialized vehicles, including armored ambulances, operational armored vehicles, tactical trucks and mechanical engineering equipment.