16 Mar 2025

US and Iraqi forces kill ISIS chief of global operations, officials say
The “Global ISIS #2 leader, Chief of Global Operations and the Delegated Committee Emir” was killed alongside another ISIS operative in a precision strike on Thursday in Iraq’s Al Anbar province, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said. The US and Iraqi troops found the two ISIS members dead at the site of the strike. Both were “wearing un-exploded ‘suicide vests’ and had multiple weapons,” according to the CENTCOM statement.

St. Paul teachers union president’s ex-husband was charged with sex crimes against minor during their marriage
The case involved a 2018 attempted sexual assault of a preteen boy inside the home she shared with her then-husband, Russ VanDassor. Leah VanDassor, president of the St. Paul Federation of Educators and a veteran middle school teacher, recently made headlines with statements calling Republicans “authoritarian” and “fascist,” and accusing them of targeting BIPOC and LGBTQ communities. She also called the Trump administration “dangerous” with a goal of “tearing families apart.”

Military chiefs to plan for ‘operational phase’ of Ukraine peace deal
UK premier Keir Starmer said Russian President Vladimir Putin would eventually have to “come to the table”, speaking after a virtual summit Saturday to drum up support for Ukraine. The British leader told some 26 fellow leaders in a group call he hosted that they should focus on how to strengthen Ukraine, protect any ceasefire and keep up the pressure on Moscow. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky had, he said, “shown once again, and beyond any doubt, that Ukraine is the party of peace” by accepting a 30-day unconditional ceasefire.

Israel Strikes Islamic Jihad Headquarters in Damascus
The Israel Air Force carried out a powerful strike on the headquarters of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist organization in Damascus, Syria, on Thursday. The Israeli military confirmed the operation, stating that the facility was being used to plan and coordinate terrorist activities against Israel. The strike is part of Israel’s ongoing efforts to prevent terror groups from using Syrian territory as a base of operations.

EU’s Rift with the US – an Opportunity for China
The crack that has arisen between the USA and Europe can imply an opening for China, which can take advantage of the shaky relationship. Now China is trying to present itself as the primary defender of the rule-based world order.

The Pope Recovers – Plans for 2028
Francis is hospitalized at the Gemelli hospital in Rome for a month. The doctors have since a few days ago confirmed that his condition is stable and that he is slowly getting better, after a critical period with life-threatening respiratory difficulties. The Pope is still receiving medical treatment as well as physiotherapy for his respiratory problems, according to the hospital. It is unclear when he can be discharged.

Bad weather in the USA – 17 dead and hundreds homeless
At least 17 people have died in a violent storm that is sweeping across the USA. Hundreds have also become homeless. Most of the fatalities – eleven people – are found in the state of Missouri, where a tornado has ravaged, according to the state police on Saturday. A man is said to have lost his life when the whirlwind tore his house apart. Several people have also been injured. Three people were killed and 29 injured in connection with a storm passing through Arkansas during the night.

Historic pilgrimage: Israel allows 100 Druze sheikhs from Syria to visit Shrine of Jethro near Tiberias
A delegation of some 100 Druze religious leaders from southern Syria visited Israel on Friday, marking the first time in decades that Syrian Druze were allowed to visit a holy site near the city of Tiberias in northern Israel. “This is a peace delegation, in the hope that the history that is being woven before our eyes will form a solid foundation for regional peace,” he added.

IDF strikes Hamas & Hezbollah cells during terror activity despite ceasefires over weekend
Israeli airstrikes struck targets in the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon over the weekend, with the Israel Defense Forces reporting that the terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah continued to conduct terror activity despite ongoing ceasefires. In the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military first struck three terrorists trying to plant explosive devices near IDF positions in the Netzarim Corridor.

Arrested pro-Hamas Columbia student worked for UNRWA – NY Post
UNRWA has been found to have extensive ties with Hamas in Gaza. Mahmoud Khalil worked for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees after he spent four years employed at the UK office for Syria and Lebanon.

Iran’s mullahs can never change, never be ‘friends’
For more than four decades, many Western politicians have entertained the hope that negotiations with the Islamist regime in Iran might lead to a change in its behavior and attitude toward the West. Time and again, diplomatic overtures, economic incentives and concessions have been extended to Tehran in the hope that engagement could moderate its policies. Yet, every attempt at diplomacy has failed. Unfortunately, it will continue to fail. Like it or not, the nature of the Iranian regime is inseparable from its ideological foundations. The Islamic Republic of Iran is not a normal state, or even a conventional dictatorship.

Hezekiah’s Tunnel: Walking through the waters of ancient biblical history in Jerusalem
King Hezekiah, who ruled Judah in the 8th century B.C., commissioned this remarkable building project to fortify Jerusalem and protect it from enemy attacks. This strategy is mentioned in 2 Chronicles, which describes how Hezekiah enlisted “a great many people” to help construct the tunnel, ensuring that water was available for those in the city of Jerusalem while denying access to the attacking Assyrians.

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