End Times Headline News. February 29 2024

US is losing the war to the Houthis. Iran greenlights Hezbollah attack on Israel. Putin warns of West’s destructive intentions. Red flags in Online Harms Bill. Massive volcano eruption in Mexico.

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Why the US is losing the war to the Houthis

After Biden came home from his Caribbean vacation, the Deputy Defense Secretary came back from hers and the Secretary of Defense was on the verge of being released from the hospital, airstrikes were finally authorized against the Houthi Jihadis attacking ships in the Red Sea. Biden said that the air strikes sent “a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most critical commercial routes.”

Russia's LNG Cargoes Bound For China Avoid The Red Sea

Russia has started diverting its LNG cargoes away from the Suez Canal and is using the longer route to China via the Cape of Good Hope in Africa, amid a higher risk of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, according to LSEG data cited by Reuters on Wednesday.  The longer route from Russia’s Yamal LNG project to China via Africa instead of the Suez Canal adds around 10 days to the travel time for LNG cargoes to reach their destinations in China and return to Russia, tying up more LNG tankers for longer periods at sea.  

What game is Iran playing, suddenly slowing down its nuclear program? - analysis

On Monday, the IAEA reported that Iran had reduced its stockpile of 60 percent enriched uranium by 6.8 kilograms (kg), after having grown this stockpile almost continuously since early 2021

Iran sent very strong signals between last November and this January that it was pushing the envelope further with its nuclear-weapons program. Why, then, did it suddenly slow things down in February? Is this a larger policy change? Or is Tehran just playing games again, just before the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors is due to meet in early March? Iran has reduced its stockpile of 60% enriched uranium by 6.8 kilograms, after having grown it almost continuously since early 2021, the IAEA reported Monday.

'Lebanon will be next': Iran greenlights Hezbollah attack on Israel - report

As per the report, Tehran gave the go-ahead amid fears that, after the IDF completes an invasion of Rafah, southern Lebanon "will be next."

Iran has given Lebanese terror organization Hezbollah the green light to escalate its attacks along Israel's northern border, the Arabic Post reported on Wednesday, citing high-level Iranian and Lebanese sources. The Islamic Republic has reportedly set conditions for Hezbollah, ordering it to launch a large-scale attack on Israel only after it "had become certain of Israel's intention" to carry out an invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

Biden administration concerned Israel will launch Lebanon ground operation in the spring – CNN report

Officials close to US President Joe Biden are concerned that Israel is planning to launch a ground operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon in the coming months, CNN reports.

According to the report, the Biden administration has held intelligence briefings on the matter, preparing for the possibility that the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group cannot be made to retreat from the border through diplomatic measures. Speaking to CNN on the condition of anonymity, one official says that the Biden administration is “operating in the assumption that an Israeli military operation is in the coming months.”

Netanyahu, police wait until last minute for Ramadan Temple Mount decision

Two weeks before Ramadan, and the concern over fermenting unrest due to intentions to limit the ascent of Israeli Arabs to the Temple Mount is preoccupying security authorities.

Two weeks until Ramadan, and the concern over fermenting unrest due to intentions to limit the ascent of Israeli Arabs to the Temple Mount is preoccupying security authorities in the Israel Police, IDF and the Shin Bet. Attempts to stir up trouble every Friday since the outbreak of the war have not been particularly successful and apart from the occasional tension in east Jerusalem between Arabs and Israel Police, relative calm is maintained. 

All eyes are on Russia as a mediator between Hamas and Fatah - editorial

Russia’s role as the host and mediator of these talks is particularly noteworthy. Moscow appears to be leveraging its perceived victories in Ukraine to expand its influence in the Middle East.

In the ever-evolving geopolitical landscape, the recent announcement of a meeting between representatives of Hamas and Fatah in Moscow marks a significant moment not only for Palestinian politics but also for the broader Middle Eastern dynamics. Scheduled for Thursday, this gathering aims to discuss the formation of a unified Palestinian government and rebuilding Gaza, reflecting a critical juncture in Palestinian national aspirations.

Hamas won’t be part of new Palestinian Authority gov’t, says PA official

Hamas will not be part of the new Palestinian Authority government, the PA’s foreign affairs minister said Wednesday, claiming that Hamas’ leadership understands the need to keep the Islamist terror group out of the new government.The entire Palestinian Authority government submitted its resignation this week, including Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh.

There Can Be No Ceasefire In Gaza With Hamas In Power

For all the various efforts world leaders are investing in arranging a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, they must understand there will be no genuine prospect of peace so long as Hamas terrorists retain control of Gaza.

The Israeli people, irrespective of their political differences, will never accept any long-term deal that allows the terrorist masterminds of Hamas to remain in control of Gaza. Numerous options have been explored in recent weeks, ranging from the Biden administration's wide-ranging plan to address numerous regional issues, from the threat posed by Iran to reopening negotiations on Palestinian statehood, to the recent attempt by Arab nations, led by Algeria, to pass a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which was vetoed by Washington.

Ukraine's Zelensky holds talks with Saudi prince to push for peace plan with Russia

Zelensky has presented a 10-point peace formula that seeks the expulsion of all Russian forces from Ukraine and accountability for war crimes, as well as the return of prisoners of war and deportees

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday and met with the kingdom’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to push for a peace plan with Russia and the return of prisoners of war. The visit came one day after the Saudi prince, who has been positioning himself as a mediator, hosted Russian officials, including Vyacheslav Volodin, the chairman of Russia’s lower parliamentary house, the Duma. Saudi Arabia remains closely aligned with Russia on energy policies through the OPEC group of countries.

Türkiye offers to host Russia-Ukraine talks

Ankara has repeatedly sought to act as mediator since the derailed round of negotiations less than a month into the conflict

Ankara is ready to serve as an intermediary for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine once again, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, ahead of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to Türkiye and the Antalya Diplomacy Forum later this week. With the Russia-Ukraine conflict now into its third year, diplomacy and dialogue should be given a chance for a “fair and lasting resolution,” Erdogan said.

British soldiers in Ukraine helping fire missiles, Olaf Scholz reveals

German chancellor criticised for ‘flagrant abuse of intelligence’ that could endanger UK personnel on the ground and help the Russians

Germany was accused of a “flagrant abuse of intelligence” after revealing that British soldiers are supporting Ukrainian forces launching long-range Storm Shadow missiles.

Olaf Scholz said on Monday that he would not deliver the Taurus, Berlin’s equivalent of the Storm Shadow, as it would require soldiers assisting on the ground, citing the UK and French approach with their own systems. Mr Scholz argued that following the UK would make Germany a “participant in the war”.

Putin warns of West’s destructive intentions

The US and its allies want Russia to be “withering space” like Ukraine, the president has claimed

The West intended to do to Russia what it did to Ukraine and many other nations – turn it into a dying, failed state, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed in a keynote speech on Thursday.

”The West, which has colonial habits and is used to igniting national conflicts all over the world, has intentions that go beyond stalling our development,” the Russian leader told the Federal Assembly, a gathering of leading Russian officials and public figures.

NATO applicant’s breakaway region asks Moscow for help

Russia has pledged to address Transnistria’s plea, while Moldova has condemned the call as a “propaganda declaration”

Transnistria, an unrecognized republic that split from Moldova in the early 1990s, asked Russia on Wednesday for help amid mounting pressure from Chisinau, which it describes as an “economic blockade.” The call for help was made at a congress of Transnistrian legislators at all levels, which adopted a declaration on the matter. The lawmakers asked Moscow to take “measures to protect Transnistria amid mounting pressure from Moldova,” stressing that nearly half of the 450,000 people living in the unrecognized country are Russian citizens.

US Issues Warning To Breakaway Moldovan Region Seeking Russia's 'Protection'

Update(1525ET): Russian state media says that the country's parliament and Federation Council is preparing to respond positively to Transistria's earlier urgent requestion for Moscow's 'protection' from Moldova, a small eastern European country supported by Washington. Russian legislators have "put forward a request to both the Federation Council and State Duma of Russia, urging them to implement measures to safeguard Transnistria, especially in light of Moldova’s growing pressure. This request is backed up by the fact that over 220,000 Russian citizens reside in Transnistria."

Explosive Truth of US’ Nord Stream Sabotage Could ‘Destroy’ NATO

NATO has always allowed the United States to control Europe’s military policy. Now it’s dictating its energy policy, too.

On Monday, Denmark became the second European country to officially close its investigation into the explosion of the Nord Stream gas pipeline. for Ukraine’s proxy war against Russia. Lazare lists a number of figures benefiting from the phenomenon, including Donald Trump in the US, Marine Le Pen in France, Geert Wilders in the Netherlands, and Giorgia Meloni in Italy.

US Judge Orders Trump Be Removed From Republican Primary Ballot on March 19 - Reports

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - A US judge ordered the removal of former President Donald Trump from the Republican primary ballot in the state of Illinois, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

The report said on Wednesday that Cook County judge Tracie Porter ordered the state election board to remove Trump from the March 19 primary ballot but put her order on hold until Friday. Trump will appeal a judge's order to have him removed from the Illinois Republican primary ballot on March 19, Trump's spokesman Steven Cheung said.

Mitch McConnell - Longest Serving Senate Leader In US History - To Step Down From Position In November

Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who turned 82 last week and has suffered multiple public 'glitches,' will step down from his Senate leadership position in November after maintaining power for almost two decades as the longest-serving Senate leader in US history.

"One of life’s most underappreciated talents is to know when it’s time to move on to life’s next chapter," he said in prepared remarks seen by the outlet. "So I stand before you today ... to say that this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate." While he'll no longer be leader, McConnell will serve out his Senate term, which ends in January 2027, "albeit from a different seat in the chamber."

Smokehouse Creek Fire rapidly grows to second-largest wildfire in history of Texas

The Smokehouse Creek Fire started on February 26, 2024, in Hutchinson County, Texas, amidst adverse weather conditions, and has rapidly grown over the next 2 days to the second-largest wildfire in the state’s history. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has declared a disaster in 60 counties in response to the wildfire, which has only been 3% contained.

The Smokehouse Creek Fire started on a rough terrain under unfavorable weather conditions on February 28 and has rapidly grown over the next 2 days, with the Texas A&M Forest Service reporting the fire’s growth to 343 983 ha (850 000 acres) by February 28, 2024.

Tens of thousands in Victoria urged to evacuate due to catastrophic fire danger, Australia

With catastrophic fire ratings in Victoria’s Wimmera region and temperatures forecast to reach 45 °C (113 °F), tens of thousands are urged to evacuate amid escalating bushfire threats.

A bushfire near Ballarat, burning since last Thursday, has already resulted in the destruction of six homes and significant livestock loss, covering an area of over 20 000 hectares (49 421 acres). The Victoria Fire Department, battling the blaze, emphasized the day’s challenges, with Chief Officer Jason Heffernan advising immediate community action due to the unpredictable nature of the fire spread, exacerbated by dry lightning and strong winds.

"Who Could Be Next": Top Canadian Pension Fund Sells Manhattan Office Tower For $1, Sparking Firesale Panic

New York during the inflationary surge of the late 70s and early 80s was a mythical place where one could purchase a Park avenue penthouse for $1 (while assuming the copious debt, of course). Now, thanks to the brutal bear hug of the highest interest rates in 40 years and the ongoing CRE crisis, those legendary days have made a comeback to the Big Apple, if only in the realm of commercial real estate for now.

According to Bloomberg, Canadian pension funds - which until recently had been among the world’s most prolific buyers of real estate, starting a revolution that inspired retirement plans around the globe to emulate them because, in the immortal words of Ben Bernanke, Canadian real estate prices never go down...

Prison for Hate Crimes Someone Fears You Might Commit: Lawyers Spot Red Flags in Online Harms Bill

The Liberal government’s newly tabled Online Harms Bill will, if passed, allow people to report others to a provincial court judge out of fear that they may commit a hate crime in the future.

As well, investigators will be allowed to enter people’s workplace without a warrant and demand access to records, and in some cases, people can file anonymous complaints alleging “hate speech.” These are just some of the many red flags lawyers have identified in Bill C-63 since it was tabled before the House of Commons on Feb. 26.

Bill Gates Praises India’s Sweeping Digital ID System as a Model for Other Nations

Gates praises India's DPI - a buzzword pushed by the UN that encourages digital ID rollouts.

India’s digital ID system may have its critics among those opposed to digitization of people’s identities, but it has received praise from Bill Gates as one of the country’s innovations that are “changing the world.” Gates, as well as EU and UN officials, refers to such systems as digital public infrastructure (DPI) – a buzzword for introduction of digital ID and payments by 2030.

BREAKING: Shocking Surge in Stillbirths and Perinatal Deaths Rocks Singapore in 2023!

25% increase in perinatal mortality and a 32% rise in stillbirths year on year!

BREAKING: Shocking Surge in Stillbirths and Perinatal Deaths Rocks Singapore in 2023!

EXCLUSIVE: Patients across the country say they STILL can't get life saving drugs a week after cyberattack by 'foreign nation' on America's biggest health insurer

Patients across the country are still unable to access potentially lifesaving medications a week on from a cyber attack on America's largest health insurer.

UnitedHealth revealed its Change Healthcare unit - which processes prescriptions to tens of thousands of pharmacies - was compromised last Wednesday during a suspected state-sponsored hack. The hack led to the company's Optum software being taken down, preventing pharmacies like CVS and Walgreen's from processing prescriptions with insurance.

US Airlines and TSA Partner on Expanded Use of Digital ID Through Face Biometrics

The U.S Transportation Security Administration is advancing face biometrics checks for members of its PreCheck program in partnership with airlines.

The implications of the new TSA PreCheck Touchless ID service for Clear and its membership-based airport biometrics service are unclear. Delta and United Airlines are each piloting processes to replace boarding pass and physical ID document checks with face biometrics. United supports PreCheck Touchless ID for bag drops at O’Hare International in Chicago, and for security checks at O’Hare and Los Angeles International (LAX). Passengers can opt into the process by submitting selfie biometrics through United’s mobile app.

School boards are silencing parents who object to pornographic materials in their child’s education

Over the past decade, public schools have become the purveyors of state dogma and the curriculums have been rewritten by LGBT activists.

(LifeSiteNews) — In February 2023, a father had his mic cut off at a school board meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, for attempting to read aloud from a sexually explicit book that was available to students. In August 2023, a father was escorted out of a school board meeting by police in Forth Worth, Texas, after reading aloud from a book contained in the school library. The book was considered “inappropriate to be read during a public meeting” due to its pornographic nature.  

Ukrainian troops film disc-shaped UFO hovering over warzone

Troops in Ukraine have captured a UFO on camera, with footage showing a large black disk hovering over the war-torn country. In the recording, translated from Ukrainian, soldiers can be heard debating what the object could be.

‘What the f*** is this? Why isn’t it moving?’ said one. Troops from the 406th Battalion in the Ukraine Armed Forces (UAF) captured the footage through one of their ‘heat vision’ quadcopter drones as the war in Ukraine rumbles on. Details of the UFO remain a mystery, but the drone’s own altitude indicates that the object could be a large craft hovering around 30 miles away.

Massive eruption of Popocatepetl volcano spews huge columns of ash and smoke, forcing flight cancelations

Mexico’s most dangerous active volcano spewed ash and smoke on Tuesday, with photos showing massive columns of gray emissions – large enough to ground nearby flights.

The Popocatépetl volcano sits in central Mexico between the states of Morelos, Puebla and the State of Mexico. Ash fall was reported in Mexico City and its surrounding region, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) southeast of the volcano, according to the National Civil Protection Coordination.