17 Apr 2024 News Briefing

Penn scientist’s start-up will conduct the first FDA-approved tests of a form of gene editing in infants
A company started by University of Pennsylvania scientist Jim Wilson has received FDA approval to test a form of gene editing in infants for the first time in the United States, the company said this week. The Plymouth Meeting company, iECURE, is developing a treatment for babies whose livers are unable to make a crucial enzyme.

Americans should ‘take matters into [their] own hands,’ GOP lawmaker says
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) urged Americans on Monday to take matters into their “own hands” by removing “pro-Hamas mobs” blocking traffic throughout the country.

Willing Self-Deception’: Canadian Doctors Amputate Healthy Fingers Of Young Man With ‘Body Dysphoria’
In “the first described [case] about digits amputation,” Canadian doctors surgically removed two healthy fingers from a young man experiencing “body integrity dysphoria” (BID). The sad, bizarre account, published March 27 in the open-access journal Clinical Case Reports, is linked to surgical interventions for gender dysphoria. This similar yet distinct case underscores the dangers of gender ideology from a slightly different vantage point, one which circumvents the deceptive veil of civil rights language which conceals the harms of gender transition procedures.

Iran’s Attack on Israel Was Certainly Unprecedented, But Was It Biblically Prophetic?
The attack of Iran on Israel on April 13, 2024 was unprecedented. We know that Iran has sponsored terrorism for a long time, working with proxy groups like the Houthis, Hezbollah, and, of course, Hamas on that horrific attack on the Jewish homeland on October 7th—where 1,200 people were butchered and murdered. It is unbelievable. And there are still so many being held as hostages. But when Iran directly attacked Israel, that is literally without precedent and it has Bible prophecy significance. … I do believe the attack of Iran on Israel was a fulfillment of Bible prophecy.

Alert! Israel Is Preparing To Hit Iran “Forcefully” And The Iranians Are Promising To Retaliate
This is the most dangerous moment that we have seen in the Middle East in modern times. Israel has decided to hit Iran. There is still debate about whether it should be a devastating blow or a more limited strike. But in either case, the Iranians are pledging to retaliate. In fact, the Iranians are promising to respond to any attack with overwhelming force. The cycle would continue until someone finally decides that enough is enough. But what if neither side backs down and the conflict escalates to an unthinkable level?

Foreign Policy, Military Experts Urge Israel To Deliver ‘Disproportionate’ Response To Iranian Attacks
Numerous foreign policy experts are urging Israel to deliver a “disproportionate” military response to Iran’s attacks over the weekend and are warning that time is winding down to deal with the Islamic Republic before it becomes a nuclear state. Part of what is driving the concern from foreign policy and military experts is that Iran has strengthened its relationship with Russia and may soon acquire more advanced military hardware from the Russians that will make it much harder for the U.S., Israel, and Arab allies in the region to counter Iranian threats.

After Iran’s attack repelled, Zelensky demands same defense alliance as Israel
Israel’s alliance with the U.S. helped it defeat missiles and UAVs from Iran, and now Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expects to receive similar assistance against the Russians: ‘Israel is not a NATO member, yet they helped save lives, Moscow, like Tehran, spreads terror’

This is what the IDF control room looked like during the Iranian attack
Military releases exclusive footage from the IDF’s Control Desk and Southern Aerial Control Unit that worked relentlessly to counter Tehran’s drone and missile swarms.

IDF has decided on type of response to Iran, but not timing
In the wake of Iran’s recent attack and speculation on how Israel might respond, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have reportedly finalized plans for a counter-strike against Iran and its proxies, according to a report from The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday evening.

Iranians call for Israel to attack IRGC leaders
Some graffiti has appeared on walls in Iranian cities – “Israel, strike the supreme leader’s [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s] house,” reads one. “Israel hit them, they lack the courage to retaliate,” read another.

Heaviest known black hole in Milky Way uncovered
The Milky Way galaxy’s heaviest known black hole has been discovered in a binary star system, Tel Aviv University announced on Tuesday. The astronomical phenomenon, found by analyzing data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia space observatory craft, is more than three times heavier than the largest previously identified black holes in our galaxy. An international team of researchers discovered the star, which orbits a black hole 33 times heavier than the sun’s mass, 1,500 light-years away from Earth.

REPORT: Biden approved Iranian Attack on Israel
It has been revealed that Iranian officials communicated their intent to launch a massive attack against Israel with the intention that this message be conveyed to the United States. Through these same diplomatic channels, the US conveyed its tacit assent on the condition that any action it took had to be “within certain limits”. Reuters cited a Turkish diplomatic source speaking on condition of anonymity as saying that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had spoken to both his US and Iranian counterparts in the past week to discuss the planned Iranian attack on Israel.

‘No choice but to respond,’ Israel tells US as Netanyahu weighs strike options in Iran
Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told the United States that Israel has no choice but to retaliate against Iran, after the regime launched a large-scale drone and missile assault against Israel on Sunday. In a phone call with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday, Gallant told Austin that allowing such a large-scale attack to go unanswered would signal to Iran that it can attack Israel whenever it launches airstrikes against Iranian interests in Syria,

Well-known Sydney Assyrian Bishop Emmanuel stabbed in terror attack during service
Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was stabbed on Monday night during an online mass service at Assyrian Orthodox Church, “Christ the Good Shepherd,” in Sydney, Australia. The bishop has a significant online following and is known for posting criticisms of homosexuality, COVID vaccinations and Islam. The bishop survived the knife attack and later said he was “lucky to be alive.” Australian police classified the incident as a terror attack.

IDF eliminates senior Hezbollah commander after drone attack wounds 3 Israelis
According to the Israeli military, Ismail Yousef Baz served as the commander of the Lebanese coastal region, a rank equivalent to an IDF brigade commander, when he was eliminated in an airstrike while traveling in a vehicle in the area of Ain Baal, east of the city of Tyre.

A new Middle East? Arab nations openly join Israel in thwarting Iranian missile assault
The Iranian missile attack in the early hours of Sunday morning publicly revealed the Middle East Air Defense Alliance (MEAD) for the first time. This defense partnership has the potential to significantly reshape the Middle East in the foreseeable future.

Anti-Israel activist threatens to murder Calif. city council members
Anti-Israel activist arrested, faces felony charges after making death threats at city council meeting in Bakersfield, California. ‘I hope that one day, somebody brings the guillotine and kills all of you.’ Riddhi Patel threatened Mayor Karen Goh and other municipal officials.

Erdogan: Netanyahu to blame for Iranian attack on Israel
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was the main one to blame for Iran’s first direct attack on Israel, AFP reports.

Minnesota woman files $2 million suit for police using ‘excessive’ force in Jan. 6 beating
Victoria Charity White, 42, of Rochester, Minnesota, alleges at least two Metropolitan Police Department officers unlawfully used “deadly force.” beaten by police in the Lower West Terrace tunnel at the U.S. Capitol has filed a $2 million civil suit for being repeatedly struck in the head and slammed into a concrete wall on Jan. 6, 2021.

US to restrict movement of Iranian Foreign Minister in New York
the US will restrict the movements of Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his delegation while they are in New York for a meeting at the United Nations.

Body language reveals: Hamas leader is angry and broken
so much pressure, so much stress. We really see it in his fingertips. You can understand how angry he is, and how hard this is for him.” Haddad summed up the meeting saying, “The conclusion is clear: Hamas’ leader is deterred, Hamas’ leader is falling apart,

Former NSC chief: ‘Don’t attack in Iran, focus on Lebanon and Syria’
“If you want to put Iranians in their place and maybe even test them – there are two other arenas: One is in Syria. Everything started as the Iranian reaction to Israel’s attack in Syria. There we have a real interest in preventing Iran from building what they are trying to [build].

Heat records shattered in northern Japan
Many heat records have been shattered in northern Japan with the start of the new week.

Desert Metropolis Under Water: A Year’s Worth of Rain Causes Massive Flooding in Dubai — Cloud Seeding Operation was Carried Out in the Last 24 Hours

Unprecedented rainfall struck the heart of the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, causing extensive flooding throughout Dubai. The intense weather event, which delivered a year’s worth of precipitation in just a few hours, resulted in the flood of major highways, residential areas, and even the tarmac of Dubai International Airport, pushing the bustling city-state to its limits. The torrential downpour also affected neighboring Oman, resulting in 18 deaths.

Severe floods leave 58 dead, thousands of households affected in Tanzania
Heavy rainfall affecting Tanzania since the beginning of April, caused severe floods and landslides which resulted in at least 58 fatalities and thousands of households affected. The coastal regions of the country have been particularly hard hit, with devastating impacts on both human lives and agriculture.

Attacks on Europe’s largest nuclear power plant put the world “dangerously close to a nuclear accident”
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest nuclear facility, is at the center of escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine, with both sides accusing each other of reckless behavior that risks a major nuclear incident. This contentious issue was brought before the United Nations Security Council on Monday, April 15, 2024, where concerns were raised about the potential for a catastrophic nuclear accident.

Movie Industry’s Push for ISP Site-Blocking Legislation Sparks Controversy Over Internet Censorship
The US Motion Picture Association (MPA), a trade association representing half a dozen huge film and TV studios, is gearing up for a big campaign to get lawmakers to pass legislation that would force ISPs to block sites – yet another way the industry hopes to fight its long “war on piracy.”

The Churches Are Sleeping: When Did The ‘Woke’ Pulpits Become The Norm?
…I used to wonder how it would ever happen. What would this look like? I have had a passion for Bible prophecy for years. However, reading and studying Bible prophecy and seeing it lived out before your eyes is totally different. It is extremely exciting to live in a day when so many prophetic events are converging, yet when I speak with my peers, many pastors and churches are sleeping, not concerned about the events unfolding right before us.

America Under Siege: Jihadists and Communists from Iranian-Backed A15Action Unleash Coordinated Attacks Across the Nation
Update: The riots yesterday in the streets, airports, ports, etc., were not a local initiative; rather, they were a premeditated operation orchestrated by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps in an effort to paralyze the global economy.

Alert! Israel Is Preparing To Hit Iran “Forcefully,” And The Iranians Are Promising To Retaliate
This is the most dangerous moment that we have seen in the Middle East in modern times. As you will see, Israel has decided to hit Iran. There is still debate about whether it should be a devastating blow or a more limited strike. But in either case, the Iranians are pledging to retaliate.

David Blunkett is trying to resuscitate his identity card system; we’ve been here before
Identity cards have become a hot topic in the UK due to the upcoming elections and their focus on migration. We’ve been here before. Once again, we must resist plans to turn us into walking barcodes.