 Israel has long relied on the United States as its most important ally and weapons supplier. But Israeli leaders are planning for a future in which American support could become less reliable—or come with conditions that limit Israel’s freedom to act.
|
 |
By Tim Chaffey - https://harbingersdaily.com/a-sunni-nato-aimed-at-countering-american-and-israeli-power-in-the-middle-east-making-sense-of-the-mecca-agreement/
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan recently signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, a historic trilateral collective security pact that brings together some of the most powerful states in the Sunni Muslim world. The stated purpose of the agreement, which has been described as a “Sunni NATO,” is to strengthen “collective deterrence.” It features a NATO-like mutual defense clause that stipulates that “any armed attack against any one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all.”
The agreement also aims to deepen military and intelligence cooperation, as well as defense industry collaboration. Saudi Arabia has the largest economy in the Middle East, Turkey maintains one of the largest militaries in the region, and Pakistan has nuclear weapons. If implemented, the alliance could reshape the regional balance of power.
 |
We have never seen a year quite like 2026, and we are certainly not prepared for what is coming in 2027. There has never been a time when we haven’t had problems, but now we have entered an era when we are just getting hammered by crisis after crisis after crisis. At the moment, we are simultaneously facing an unprecedented global energy crisis, an unprecedented global food crisis, an epic meltdown in Europe, the end of the biggest financial bubble in history and the most powerful Super El Niño ever recorded. To say that we have a lot on our plate would be a massive understatement, and what we have experienced so far is only just the beginning.
For a few months a decent amount of oil was sneaking through the Strait of Hormuz, but now Iran is trying to slam the door shut. The Iranians have been attacking more oil tankers than ever before this month, and earlier today yet another oil tanker hit an Iranian naval mine…
| Singer Dropped Over Palestinian Flag Stunt; Larry David Mocks DSA Socialists; Iran’s Human Trafficking Profits Exposed; UK Politicians Condemn ‘Palestine Poppy’ | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| Syria Fears ‘Extraordinary’ Israeli Action; The Firefight That Killed Sinwar; Fallen IDF Hero’s Secret Syria Campaign; CNN Caught Scrubbing Qatar Praise | |||||
| |||||
|
Prophecy News Watch 20th October
 An online clip frames Christianity as a choice between Jesus and Paul, suggesting Christians can keep Jesus’ words while discarding the apostle’s teaching. That argument is spreading—and it raises a deeper question: when an influencer invites believers to decide which parts of Scripture count, who becomes the final authority over the faith?
|
 AI tools are already being used to score workplace conversations and help investigators identify locations from images. Connected with cameras, phones, license plate readers, and other databases, those systems could grow into a far more powerful surveillance network. The promised benefits are real, but so are the dangers when government can connect and act on intimate data—and the prophetic warning Christians should not ignore.
|
 Syria’s new ruler says he wants stability, but Israeli officials are watching a military rebuild that may be drawing on resources intended for a shattered country. Reports describe new brigades, weapons procurement, and a search for air defenses that could challenge Israel. With Ahmed al-Sharaa’s past and the region’s history in view, the buildup raises a hard question about what Damascus is preparing for.
|
The UK will deploy RAF Typhoon jets to defend Saudi Arabia in response to escalating Houthi missile and drone attacks, the government has said.
The defensive mission will help defend Saudi cities and infrastructure - a move authorised by Prime Minister Andy Burnham - against aerial attacks by the Iran-backed group.
It follows Houthi attacks on the Saudi capital Riyadh, as well as on energy sites on the country's coast.
"These aircraft will operate in a defensive role and will not conduct offensive strikes against the Houthis," Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said in a written statement on Tuesday.
FULL REPORT AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckr5yqe1r1llo
More than 70 security personnel were killed in a Houthi missile strike on a camp in Yemen's central province of Shabwa on Monday, local authorities say.
The Saudi-backed Yemeni armed forces said the Iran-backed group launched three ballistic missiles at al-Alam camp near Ataq city, which was being used as a training centre for recruits to the security forces and police.
The head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, condemned what he called the "criminal attack" and promised a "firm response".
The Houthis' military spokesman said they had targeted "Saudi enemy concentrations". Yemen's devastating civil war has flared up in recent months. At the start of October, pro-government forces launched a major offensive that aims to retake territory in western Yemen that is controlled by the Houthis.
With air support from a Saudi-led coalition of Arab states, they managed to regain control of territory on the Red Sea coast that overlooks the strategically important Bab al-Mandab Strait, which the Houthis captured in a surprise assault in September.
However, fierce fighting is continuing there, as well as around the besieged government-controlled city of Taiz, and to the north in Marib and al-Jawf provinces.
The Houthis have also responded to the Saudi air strikes by launching missiles and drones at airports, energy facilities and military bases in neighbouring Saudi Arabia.
FULL REPORT AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cv0ld6lrr2zeo
The hug that Trump envoy Steve Witkoff offered Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of this afternoon's talks in Oslo is unlikely to have dispelled the Ukrainian leader's misgivings about the current direction of US policy towards his war-ravaged country.
Zelensky posted a video of the moment on social media, with the message "Ukraine is working for peace. I thank our partners for their support!"
But given everything that's happened this month, does the Ukrainian leader still regard Donald Trump as a partner? The two men have never been close – that much is obvious – but have they now fallen out once and for all?
Both in rhetoric and actions, the past ten days have seen evidence of a rupture as deep as any in their fractious relationship.
Just listen to the way they talk about each other. "Zelensky's not a good guy for us to deal with," Trump told Newsmax last week. The verbal assault has continued this week.
"Zelensky doesn't know what he's talking about," Trump told a reporter on Monday when asked what he thought of the Ukrainian leader's suggestion that striking a diesel deal with Russia put the US on the wrong side of history.
Such personal attacks are typical of Trump's sledgehammer approach to diplomacy. It's hard to know when to take them seriously.
FULL REPORT AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckrey51jrgnro
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has said US intelligence sharing on deadly Russian missile attacks "works now" after talks with President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff.
The meeting in Oslo came after accusations by Kyiv that Washington was withholding key intelligence - a claim rejected as "scandalous" by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who also took part in the talks, said "genuine progress" was made on proposals to achieve peace but gave no details and warned that patience would be needed.
Zelensky and his European allies said it was now up to Russia to respond to the proposals agreed in Oslo when Witkoff arrives in St Petersburg on Wednesday.
Witkoff was not present at the joint press conference after Tuesday's talks in the Norwegian capital. Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, another key envoy, took part in the meeting via video link.
A US official later described the talks as "very productive and constructive", saying there was a "strong alignment at the working level" among the US, Ukraine and Europe on "the next steps".
FULL REPORT AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq5ynkx3xy11o
