Monthly Archives: April 2020

World War 3 fears ignited yesterday after a US-led airstrike killed Irans most decorated military leader Qassem Soleimani. The strike, which took place in Baghdad as the general left the capital citys airport in an escort, has prompted a severe reaction from Irans leadership, who promised swift revenge against US aggressors.

Iran has realised its threats of retaliation against the US by firing 22 missiles at two military bases shared by the country and coalition personnel.

The attack, which the Iranian Revolutionary Guard has since taken responsibility for, is not thought to have killed anyone.

Officials continue to search the affected buildings, and Donald Trump seemed unperturbed by the attack.

Taking to Twitter yesterday he said: "All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq.

"Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now.

"So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well-equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I

"will be making a statement tomorrow morning."

In the wake of the US drone strike, World War 3 is trending on Twitter, with millions worried the assassination could spark a chain of events ending in full-scale combat.

General Soleimanis death was as a decisive blow for Iran, which lost both its top military strategist and one of its most influential political figures.

The general led the Quds unit of the Iranian revolutionary guard, a shadowy military intelligence outfit responsible for extending Irans influence aboard.

READ MORE:WW3: What are the chances of World War 3 happening? Has WW3 started?

Back home in Iran, he was considered second only to the countrys Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and people saw him as a viable candidate to become the next Iranian President.

Iran has reacted with severity to the loss of the treasured military leader, promising swift revenge on the US.

The countrys President, Hassan Rouhani, vowed Iran would continue to resist American expansionism and take revenge on the dead generals behalf.

The Pentagon branded the attack self-defence, claiming General Soleimani was plotting an attack on American soil.

According to analysts, the drone strike all but forces Iran to retaliate, but revenge will likely come on a smaller scale.

Counter-attacks will likely aim to damage the US via its presence in the Middle East and discourage any future insurrections against Iran.

However, they will likely fall short of all-out war, adding another notch to the tit-for-tat exchange ongoing between the country over the past four years.

American goals are equally opaque, with statements suggesting US attacks are wholly preventative, but senior officials hinting at more comprehensive objectives against the country in the Middle East.

DON'T MISSWorld War 3 threat: Irans policy of revenge exposed as US row grows- ANALYSISWhy Iran snubbed EU nuclear deal but agreed to UN inspections- INSIGHTWW3 warning - 'Cannot afford instability in our part of the world- INTERVIEW

A future clash between Iran and the US threatens to draw in other world powers, and allies of both countries have already weighed in following Soleimanis assassination.

Russia, a strategic ally of Iran, condemned yesterdays strike amid Tehrans pledge for revenge.

Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, told US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo the strike was an illegal power move.

However, Russia stopped short of pledging military backing to a future Iranian retaliation, as Mr Lavrov called for dialogue between the feuding countries.

Donald Trump insisted the airstrike would stop another war.

Speaking yesterday, the President said: What the United States did yesterday should have been done long ago. A lot of lives would have been saved.

Just recently, Soleimani led the brutal repression of protesters in Iran, where more than 1,000 innocent civilians were tortured and killed by their own government.

We took action last night to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war.

Donald Trump has since confirmed the US is ready to retaliate against any Iranian attack, stating in a Twitter post there were 52 sites the US may target in future.

He added the sites would be hit very fast and very hard.

He wrote: Iran is talking very boldly about targeting certain USA assets as revenge for our ridding the world of their terrorist leader who had just killed an American, badly wounded many others, not to mention all of the people he had killed over his lifetime including recently hundreds of Iranian protestors.

He was already attacking our Embassy, and preparing for additional hits in other locations.

Iran has been nothing but problems for many years.

Let this serve as a WARNING that if Iran strikes any Americans, or American assets, we have targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD.

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World War 3: Is World War 3 happening? Has WW3 been ...

This handout picture released by the US Army shows U.S. Army Paratroopers assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, deploy from Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina on January 1, 2020.

CAPT. ROBYN HAAKE

Fake news had a field day amid last week's dramatic escalation in U.S.-Iran tensions, even managing to convince several Americans that the U.S. was reinstating the draft for an impending war with Iran.

"United States Official Army Draft, we tried contacting you through the mail several times and have had no response," the text messages read, which were sent out in the days after the U.S. launched a drone strike in Baghdad that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.

"You've been marked eligible and must come to the nearest recruitment branch in Jacksonville, Florida for immediate departure to Iran."

"We're aware that this number is not disconnected, you'll be fined and sent to jail for minimum 6 years if no reply," the text concluded.

The message was signed off "U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion" and offers a name and location to which the recipient is directed to report.

It's not known how many people received messages, but it was apparently enough that the U.S. Army had to make an official statement after recruiting offices in the U.S. were hit with a barrage of panicked phone calls.

"U.S. Army Recruiting Command has received multiple calls and emails about these fake text messages and wants to ensure Americans understand these texts are false and were not initiated by this command or the U.S. Army," a statement on the Army's website read.

A similar version of the message that was circulated read: "You've been marked eligible and must come to the nearest branch in New Jersey Area for immediate departure to Iran."

The U.S. disbanded the draft in 1973, and the country's military the third-largest in the world after China and India with just over 1.2 million active personnel has been an all-volunteer force since.

The demographic of who the messages were sent to appears random from adults to kids as young as 14, according U.S. Army Recruiting Command media relations chief who spoke to NPR.

The Army statement added, "Registering for the Selective Service does not enlist a person into the military. Army recruiting operations are proceeding as normal."

Heavy online traffic brought down parts of the Selective Services System website on Jan. 3 and it posted a notice on its website that read, "Due to the spread of misinformation, our website is experiencing high volumes of traffic at this time. If you are registering or attempting to verify registration, please check back later today as we are working to resolve this issue."

The Selective Service System (SSS) is an independent U.S. government agency that holds information on Americans eligible for conscription, and all males between the ages of 18 to 26 are required by law to register their information with it. Because the draft is no longer in place, its relevance is minimal, and compliance is patchy.

Fears of greater conflict in the Middle East shook global markets after the Trump administration's Jan. 3 strike on Soleimani, who had headed Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps' elite Quds Force and led Iranian expansion through proxy forces around the region. "WW3" was trending on Twitter. Trump has since announced that Iran "appears to be standing down" after an Iranian retaliatory strike resulted in no casualties, but Iran's Revolutionary Guards are publicly threatening further revenge.

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US Army issues statement after fake "draft for Iran war ...

Top 10 Nostradamus Predictions for 2019

Michel de Nostredame, aka Nostradamus, wrote his first set of predictions in the form of quatrains in 1555, yet books of his writings are still popular today. Theres a reason for their popularity: interpreters have shown that its possible to match Nostradamuss predictions with key historical figures and events.

The Nostradamus predictions for 2019 are dire, including economic collapse, what might become World War 3 (WW3), and the end of taxes.

The Nostradamus WW3 predictions have gained traction because so many people feel helpless. They sense that the world is beyond their control and they feel that difficult times are ahead.

Visionaries like Nostradamus have foreseen cataclysms and turbulent times. Nostradamus also confirms centuries-old expectations of a final battle between good and evil. The period we are living in has certainly given us many signs of this upcoming battle. The Nostradamus WW3 predictions fit nicely within this framework.

Nostradamus didnt start to compile his visions until later in life in the middle of the 16th century, but he had started to experience visions at a very early age. According to reports, he would look into a bowl full of water and receive visions of the future.

Nostradamus has been credited with predicting events as diverse as the 1871 Great Fire of Chicago, the rise of Adolf Hitler in the 1930s, and the rise of President Donald Trump in 2016. Possibly for 2019, he has predicted the start of a cataclysmic war.

The source of Nostradamuss visions and his ability to predict the future with accuracy remain mysterious and should be taken with a few helpings of salt.

In particular, a Nostradamus predictions list for 2019 should take into consideration events before and after. A better way to consider Nostradamus is to look at the next four or five years.

That said, beyond the individual Nostradamus future predictions for 2019, there is a common theme. Its that negative energy will intensify and accelerate with unprecedented intensity and speed.

One of the signs is that society has become ever more inequitable, fueling negative energy. This intensification of spiritual evil could provoke the destabilization of the world.

According to Nostradamuss vision for 2019, the culmination will be a series of natural disasters and a third world war. While the natural phenomena might be hard to confirm, we have already seen credible threats of war.

Since the Cold Wareffectively ended in 1991, the world has forgotten the fear that the possibility of World War 3 used to generate.

That said, World War 3 news has become current again. Thats because certain countries have resumed a level of tension not seen since about 30 years ago. And instead of diffusing the tension, senators and congressional representatives in Washington have been fueling it.

1. Great eruption of Mount Vesuvius: Nostradamus has predicted a great volcanic eruption. The volcano in question is Mount Vesuvius in Italy, and Nostradamus has forecast that it will shake the earth every five minutes, killing at least 6,000 people.

2. Worst earthquake in recent history: Judging by the fact that earthquakes in recent years have left tens of thousands of people dead (e.g. China, Japan, Haiti, Italy, etc.), Nostradamus must be referring to a cataclysmic disaster for the ages. But whats more interesting to Americans is that this earthquake shall concern particularly the western area of the United States. Its power shall be felt in lands throughout the globe.

3. Global warming: Nostradamus had predicted a climate catastrophe to suddenly burn the Earth over years, if not months. The visionary warned that the King will rob the forests (uncontrolled deforestation?) and that the sky will open and the fields will burn up from the heat.

4. World War 3: This is the big one. Frankly, Nostradamus might have gotten this one spot-on if the U.S., Russia, and other countries dont stop their warmongering.

As Nostradamus put it, A war will start between the two great world powers and it will last for a period of 27 years. A moment of great violence will coincide with the appearance of a comet in the sky. A nuclear terrorism and natural catastrophes will destroy our planet until a giant planet shall approach the earth.

Nostradamus predicted that this event will be pivotal for mankind. These are the quatrains that sound most threatening, and that interpreters of Nostradamus have been warning us about:

Naval battle night will be overcome,Fire in the ships to the West ruin:New trick, the great ship colored,Anger to the vanquished, and victory in a drizzle.

(Source: Nostradamus: Century IX, Internet Sacred Text Archive, last accessed March 6, 2019.)

The war might start at night, according to some interpretations. (Source: Nostradamus and the sequence of events leading to world war 3, Prophet666, February 6, 2012.)

Nostradamuss quatrains describe a level of destruction more gruesome than anything he had predicted earlier. It also fits with the suggestions of an Antichrist arising and of Trump fighting people who come from the eastISIS, for examplein the Mediterranean.

5. Economic collapse: Not surprisingly, natural catastrophes and wars wont be good for the economy. Thus, Nostradamus has foreseen total economic collapse. To this effect, Nostradamus warned that the rich would die many times over.

6. End of taxes in the West: Nostradamus may have another point here. President Trump has already cut taxes for Americans. Meanwhile, many of the populist parties rising in Europe have advocated lowering taxes as a prescription to increase economic growth.

Nostradamus predicted that a mass revolt will end the practice of taxation once and for all. Before you write a letter to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) advising the agency of its imminent demise, remember that Nostradamus specified that it will happen only after a massive revolt.

Nostradamus wrote that people will simply refuse to pay the King any more taxes and that people will celebrate in a country where they have been taxing without mercy. That could stand in for any developed country today. It may even suggest a massive tax revolt in the West in general.

Nostradamus also suggests that the tax revolt might be part of an overall revolt against monarchies in countries that still have such institutions. That could include the United Kingdom, Spain, Norway, Sweden, or Denmarkwhere taxes are indeed very high.

7. Humans will live to be over 200: The advancements of medicine will raise humans life expectancy up to at least 200 years of age, wrote Nostradamus. This prediction has been gradually materializing. Life expectancy in developed countries has increased to an average of more than 80 years.

According to a recent estimate, there are approximately 450,000 centenarians (a person who lives to or beyond the age of 100 years) worldwide. (Source: How Many People Live to 100 Across the Globe? The Centenarian, January 14, 2019.)

Furthermore, Nostradamus predicted, An 80-year-old man will look just like a 50-year old. These days, plastic surgery has made it possible (for those who can afford it) to look decades younger than their calendar age. Its logical to expect such trends to evolve.

8. Right to parenthood: Those who want to have children will require a license or a permit. They wont be able to act as they please, wrote Nostradamus. This prediction makes sense in the context of the fears that many rational economists already entertain. China had already experimented with this policy, officially limiting families to no more than one child.

But theres more. Some governments and social sciences have been pushing the world toward Nostradamuss prediction. (Source: Population Matters, Population Matters, last accessed March 6, 2019.)

9. Language differences will disappear: Nostradamus wrote that because of a new motor, the world will return to being as it was during the days of the Tower of Babel. Students of Nostradamus believe that the new language motor will be used as we use computers today. Nostradamus says this is one of the signs that many of the worlds nations will cease to exist.

10. Humans will speak to animals: Nostradamus predicted that pigs will befriend humans. Some suggest that this was a prediction of scientific advancement, in that genetic mutations will enable humans to communicate verbally with their animal companions.

Consider these predictions with caution, but many of these warningswith a few amendments could certainly apply to the current world. Even for the skeptics, among whom I include myself, there are some ominous-sounding Nostradamus predictions to generate concern.

This one is especially noteworthy:

Songs, chants, and refrains of the slavish mob,Whilst the Princes and King are captive in prison,Shall be received in the future as oracles divineBy headless idiots deprived of judgment.

(Source: Oracles of Nostradamus, French Revolution, Internet Sacred Text Archive, last accessed March 6, 2019.)

Remember, Nostradamus was writing this in the mid-1500s. Yet there he was, describing an event eerily like what happened in his country in 1789, over 200 years later: the French Revolution. Thats when the French people had enough of their aristocratic rulers and revolted.

The peasants (the slavish mob cited above) took control of Paris and forced their demands on the royals and the nobility. The aristocrats (princes and king) were removed from power and locked up in the Bastille (prison) and beheaded by the guillotine (headless idiots).

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WW3? Top 10 Nostradamus Predictions for 2019

Chatting in front of their squeaky-clean double-deckers at a deserted bus stand, two bus drivers are waiting for passengers who never arrive.

Even though the doors are open and the services are running like clockwork, theres barely a passer-by at the interchange in Warwick. Both drivers, however, spoke of their continued love for the job despite the Covid-19 pandemic and Government lockdown bringing the country to a near-halt.

They are currently driving spotless double-deckers for Stagecoach Midlands, which is operating an enhanced Sunday service in response to the restrictions and social distancing measures.

In normal times, Matt would serve a total of around 150 passengers on his bus in the course of a day on the roads in Coventry and Warwickshire. At present, the total number is around 20.

We still enjoy driving, despite the fact its very, very quiet, he said.

Were constantly running early and even the rush hour is dead.

Ive never driven a bus in conditions as quiet as they are now, but I still love it. I still have that passion for my job, whether its busy or whether its quiet.

Bus drivers have a hardy reputation for keeping going through sleet, snow and ice and its said that not even the Luftwaffe managed to stop Londons services during World War Two. Its something the key workers are aware of as they ease along deserted roads in Coventry and Warwickshire.

They spoke on Thursday, the day before the Government announced it will cover the losses of bus companies in England for the next three months so they can stay on the road. A new 167million fund is intended to ensure that key workers in the NHS, who will be able to hop on and off for free, and other public services can get to work and people can make essential journeys, such as to pick up food.

Matt, who became a bus driver after passing his driving test as a teenager, spoke as he stood beside his empty double-decker at the collection of stands.

Bus drivers have been running services through rain, sun, sleet, snow and war, he said.

Well be out in World War Three if we have to. We like to keep the service going, especially to help elderly and vulnerable people to get out, and we feel more valued now were known as key workers.

Well keep going as long as there isnt a complete lockdown.

Despite wanting to help less mobile members of the community, the drivers have noticed not all trips appear to fall into the definition of essential travel as laid down by the Government.

Matts colleague Rachel said: We do see people going out for a bit of a jolly, getting on for a couple of stops before getting off again. I think the stay-at-home message needs to be pushed a bit harder.

But there are still people who genuinely need us and its nice to feel valued after a days work.

The drivers have been given hand gel and gloves by Stagecoach, though Matt was choosing to wear a sturdier pair he had brought from home.

Rachel said: I love my job. You hear drivers complaining or saying they end up talking to themselves when theres nobody to make conversation with, but I still enjoy driving.

"We are two drivers who love our jobs, there are others who don't. It can be lonely and dispiriting when theres nobody on your bus but its not going to stay that way forever. People will eventually be allowed back out, and they will be allowed back onto the buses.

"Its not the end of the world.

Stagecoach has told customers that it is running revised services based on the latest Government guidelines. Passengers have been asked to practise social distancing by sitting alone where possible, using contactless payments and taking newspapers home.

*Matt and Rachel were speaking under assumed names as they had not been given permission by Stagecoach to give this interview

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'We'll be out in WW3 if we have to' - bus drivers vow to plough on - Coventry Telegraph

April 9, 2020 Community News

When I bought the Tribeca Citizen from Erik just over a year ago, I never thought I would be producing daily coverage of a pandemic for weeks on end. In fact, on March 11 I was chatting on email with S. and Tom Miller about the history of a building called Hope. Thats my marker for when this all began the last post I did in the normal Tribeca. In the past month, not only has the world turned upside down, but we still dont know when it will right itself.

There is one thing I keep hearing from shopkeepers, residents, business owners: even September 11th didnt feel this way. There is a pall maybe its the uncertainty that has yet to lift. Perhaps folks in other neighborhoods are feeling the same way, but other neighborhoods were not ours nearly two decades ago and dont have that same point of comparison.

It first sunk in when I got this note from Hal Bromm on March 19, who was by then working remotely after he closed his West Broadway gallery:

These days I think back to the morning of September 11th. Walking north on the Westside Highway among the silent, stunned procession of powder-covered survivors, a ringing phone interrupted. A man near me answered his mobile, stunning us all as he shouted, Theyve just hit the Pentagon! It felt like WW3 had begun.

After ending the call, he observed to no one in particular that this day will change everything. How right he was. But perhaps that sea change to all our lives will ultimately seem small compared to the impact this will have on our lives. Who knows what life a year from now will look like?

I was not here in 2001 we moved from Chelsea in 2004 but I welcome here in comments thoughts and reflections on that time versus this one. And what we might do to make our lives look somewhat similar to the one we left behind a hundred years ago.

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Reflecting on another crisis, 19 years ago - Tribeca Citizen