News of the World

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USA

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Crime Increased in 2022

FBI quietly revised 2022 crime data to show violent offenses rose rather than dropped

Former President Donald Trump has been hit with numerous “fact-checks” on the campaign trail that have cited FBI statistics to maintain violent crime is falling in America.

However, the bureau quietly adjusted its figures for 2022 in recent weeks — and the new numbers show that offenses actually ticked up overall.

The apparent stealth edit to the bureau’s statistics, first reported by RealClearInvestigations, shows that the raw number of violent crime incidents — including murders, assaults and rapes — rose to 1,256,671 in 2022 from 1,197,930 in 2021, an increase of 4.9%.
In October of 2023, the FBI put out a press release unveiling its national crime data for 2022, which found that “national violent crime decreased an estimated 1.7% in 2022 compared to 2021 estimates.”

Initially, the bureau projected that the violent crime rate relative to the US population had slipped by 2.1% in 2022 compared to 2021.
But the FBI’s adjustment now suggests that the rate of violent crime actually jumped by about 4.5% over the same period.

The upward revision went unmentioned in the bureau’s annual crime figures press release from September of this year, which announced that violent crime dropped by roughly 3% year-over-year in 2023.

The Crime Prevention Research Center first identified the FBI’s subtle fix, citing a spreadsheet breaking down the original data.

“I have checked the data on total violent crime from 2004 to 2022,” College of William & Mary economics professor Carl Moody, who specializes in studying crime, told RealClearInvestigations. “There were no revisions from 2004 to 2015, and from 2016 to 2020, there were small changes of less than one percentage point.

“The huge changes in 2021 and 2022, especially without an explanation, make it difficult to trust the FBI data,” Moody added.
In 2021, the bureau appears to have concluded it overcounted violent crime incidents by 55,786 and undercounted them in 2022 by 24,243.

The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

During the Sept. 10 presidential debate, Trump was fact-checked by ABC News moderator David Muir, who noted that the “FBI says overall violent crime is coming down in this country."
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Overhaul US Secret Service!

Secret Service needs 'fundamental' changes or 'another Butler can and will happen again': panel

A bipartisan panel condemned the Secret Service handling of former President Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Thursday, saying the agency needs "fundamental" changes to be effective.

The panel, made up of former senior law enforcement and government officials, warned that if there are not extensive reforms at the Secret Service, then "another Butler can and will happen again."

Butler, Pennsylvania, was the site of the first assassination attempt against Trump this year. The Secret Service faced heavy criticism for negligence and sluggish reaction speed.

"The Secret Service as an agency requires fundamental reform to carry out its mission," the panel wrote in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. "Without that reform, the Independent Review Panel believes another Butler can and will happen again."

The panel's review highlighted key issues both within the Secret Service and specifically regarding the July 13 assassination attempt. The agency had poor communications both internally and with local law enforcement, the panel said. Agents on the ground also had no plan to secure key buildings around the rally venue.

"The failure to secure a complex of buildings, portions of which were within approximately 130 yards of the protectee and containing numerous positions carrying high-angle line of sight risk, represents a critical security failure," the report said.

"Relying on a general understanding that ‘the locals have that area covered’ is simply not good enough and, in fact, at Butler this attitude contributed to the security failure," it continued.
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A Volcano Cannot Sleep as of Late

‘High threat’ volcano in Washington state rumbling at record rate, prompting alert from geologists

Here’s hoping it’s nothing to blow your lid over.

A normally quiet “high threat” volcano in Washington state has been rumbling at a record rate — prompting an alert from geologists who ultimately said there’s little chance it will erupt soon.

Mount Adams — a breathtaking snow-capped peak in the state’s southern region — has been struck by seven low-intensity earthquakes since September, according to the Cascades Volcano Observatory.

The number of quakes, which ranged in magnitude from 0.9 to 2.0, is highly unusual for the 12,200-foot mountain, which is generally hit by just one every two or three years.

The flurry of rumblings prompted the United States Geological Survey to send out an alert earlier this month — and to install three new seismic stations to monitor it.

But the trembling alone is not a sign that there’s an imminent threat it will blow, said Jon Major, scientist-in-charge at the Cascades Volcano Observatory.

“Right now, there’s no cause for concern,” said Major. “If they start to pick up more earthquakes, or if earthquakes start to get larger — if they start to be shallow and more frequent — then we would probably start to take a closer look,” he told The Washington Post.

He called the series of shakes, “a little out of character for this volcano.”

Signs that a volcano is “starting to wake back up” include a large increase in earthquakes, ground deformation and a surge in gas emissions — none of which are happening, said Holly Weiss-Racine, a geologist with the Volcano Observatory.

“Right now, we’re not seeing any of those things,” Weiss-Racine told the Washington State Standard earlier this month.

She called the spike in quakes “interesting” but “nothing meaningful”

MIDDLE EAST

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Hamas Leader Sinwar is Gone!

Israel confirms they’ve killed Hamas leader and Oct. 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar — and it was completely by chance

Hamas chief and Oct. 7 mastermind, Yahya Sinwar, was killed by chance in a routine ground operation in southern Gaza on Wednesday — after years of eluding Israeli forces, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed Thursday.

“Eliminated: Yahya Sinwar,” the military announced on X.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu celebrated the death of his country’s most wanted militant as an “important milestone in the sunset of Hamas’s rule in Gaza,” the New York Times reported.

However, the prime minister stopped short of declaring total victory in the war against the terror group.

“Today, evil took a heavy blow — the mission ahead of us is still unfinished,” Netanyahu said.

Sinwar — the architect of the single deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust — was killed in Rafah in a routine raid that caught him by chance.

IDF troops were on a regular patrol, and not specifically searching for the terror chief, when they encountered several Hamas militants.

A tank unit was searching for Hamas tunnels and military sites in the southern Gazan city when they spotted moving in a building thought to be empty, former Israeli military officials briefed on the operation told the Wall Street Journal.

The tank, part of a junior team of soldiers completing a commanders course, launched a shell at the building, the officials said.

“All this event was a complete coincidence,” Amir Avivi, a former senior military commander in the Gaza division told the WSJ. “Only when they went in and saw him did they say it looked like Sinwar.”

The soldiers confirmed the body belonged to Israel’s No. 1 target by using a wooden stick to push back the man’s upper lip — revealing Sinwar’s signature front gap, which matched dental records the country had on the Hamas mastermind, The Times reported.

Although Israel wasn’t expecting Sinwar to be in that building, the IDF and American intelligence had pointed to Rafah as his likely hiding place among the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled there earlier this year.

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Sinwar was being tracked for months, with DNA evidence suggesting he was in the same tunnel where Hamas had killed six hostages in August, including American Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

Dramatic footage captured his last, desperate moments alive after the IDF sent a drone into the building to survey the damage.

An injured Sinwar, who had his face covered, can be seen sitting alone in the destroyed building — with the IDF soldiers unaware that they were seeing the very man they had been hunting for since he ordered the Oct. 7 terrorist attack.

When Sinwar finally notices the drone hovering just a few feet from him, he struggles to fling a piece of wood at the device in a last-ditch effort to take it out.

The soldiers then ordered a second strike on the building, killing Sinwar and two other Hamas terrorists who were traveling with him.

After recovering the body and comparing it to the DNA samples the Israeli military had of Sinwar during his time as a prisoner, officials confirmed the man killed in the strike was the terror chief.

Graphic photos also show the lifeless Hamas chief wearing a bulletproof vest, surrounded by grenades, lying in the rubble of a building with a head wound.

“We found him with a flak jacket and a gun and 40,000 shekels [$10,700],” Hagari, the IDF spokesman, told The Times.

Who could replace Yahya Sinwar as Hamas chief? His Oct. 7 co-conspirator brother may be next in line

The death of Hamas’ “Face of Evil” who masterminded the Oct. 7 massacre has left behind a power vacuum — and whoever steps in to fill the void will heavily influence the course of the ongoing war.

Yahya Sinwar, 61, was killed by chance Wednesday during a routine raid by Israeli Defense Force troops patrolling Rafah. The IDF fired a tank round into a building after encountering Hamas militants, and Sinwar’s body was later discovered in the wreckage.

“Hamas is an organization that has been plunged into chaos,” Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president for research of Foundation for Defense of Democracies and Hamas expert, told The Post, who pointed out that viable candidates to take the terror group’s reins are dwindling.

Sinwar — who led Hamas in Gaza since 2017, but took over as the greater terror group’s acting chief in July after former leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Iran — was instrumental in shutting down peace talks with Israel after his takeover, arguing Hamas was on the verge of eliminating the Jewish state.

With nearly 100 hostages from October 7 still held by Hamas, whoever takes Sinwar’s place as top terrorist will likely greatly influence how the conflict unfolds — and whether peace can be reached, or if the carnage will continue into the coming year.

Here’s a look at some of the top candidates:

Mohammed Sinwar

The brother of the late Hamas leader, Mohammed Sinwar is one of the terror group’s most senior commanders of its military branch and could be a “dark horse” candidate to take over the group, Schanzer said.

At 49, Sinwar has flown under the radar most of career with Hamas and made few public appearances or comments to media, according to Reuters. He remains one of Israel’s top targets and has survived numerous assassination attempts over the years.

Sinwar lacks the charismatic leadership and vision his brother had, Schanzer said, but his name could command respect from the Hamas rank and file — as bloodlines can remain respected connections for leaderships and fortunes in the Arab world.

The Sinwar brothers were very close, and both are believed to have worked together to plan the October 7 attack on Israel which left more than 1,200 dead, according to Fox News.

Experts told The Post that Hamas could opt to retaliate to Yahya’s slaying by murdering the remaining hostages — a grim possibility if Mohammed is next in line, giving the sibling’s shared ruthlessness.

Khalil Al Hayya

Hamas’ top negotiator — who was at the forefront of cease-fire talks in Cairo and Doha over the summer — is seen as a favorite to succeed Sinwar.

He was a close deputy to Sinwar, but if he were to ascend to leadership, it’s possible Hamas could take a route toward diplomacy, according to experts.

In the spring, Al Hayya voiced the possibility of giving up its arms if Israel allowed the establishment of a Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank – something Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu has adamantly opposed.

“All the military chiefs who helped him launch the Oct. 7 attack are already dead, so only Hamas’ political chiefs are left,” retired Gen. Jack Keane, chairman of the Institute for the Study of War, previously told The Post.
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Netanyahu: Free the Hostages & We'll Let You Live

Netanyahu to Hamas: Free the Hostages and We Will Let You Live

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday evening that Hamas terrorists who freed Israeli hostages would be allowed to live, but that those who sought to harm them would be hunted down and killed. He added that the war in Gaza would end if the hostages were freed and Hamas terrorists laid down their weapons.

Netanyahu published a video address in English, hours after Israel confirmed that its soldiers had killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza in a firefight on Wednesday. He addressed his nation in Hebrew a few hours before.

The full transcript of Netanyahu’s remarks was published by Israel’s Government Press Office:

One year ago, Yahya Sinwar, the terrorist chief of Hamas, launched the October 7th massacre against Israel.

It was the bloodiest attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. It was the worst attack on the Jewish state since the founding of Israel.

Sinwar’s terrorists murdered in cold blood 1,200 people. That’s elderly people, Holocaust survivors, children.

They brutally raped women. They beheaded men. They burned babies alive.

And they took 251 women, men and children hostage to the dungeons of Gaza.

Today, the mastermind of this day of sheer evil is no more.

Yahya Sinwar is dead.

He was killed in Rafah by the brave soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces.

While this is not the end of the war in Gaza, it’s the beginning of the end.

To the people of Gaza, I have a simple message: This war can end tomorrow. It can end if Hamas lays down its arms and returns our hostages.

Hamas is holding 101 hostages in Gaza, who are citizens of 23 countries; citizens of Israel, but citizens of many other countries.

Israel is committed to doing everything in our power to bring all of them home.

And Israel will guarantee the safety of all those who return our hostages.

But to those who would harm our hostages, I have another message: Israel will hunt you down and bring you to justice.

I also have a message of hope to the peoples of the region: The axis of terror that was built by Iran is collapsing before our eyes.

Nasrallah is gone. His deputy Mohsen is gone. Haniyeh is gone. Deif is gone. Sinwar is gone.

The reign of terror that the Iranian regime has imposed on its own people and on the peoples of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen – this too will come to an end.

All those who seek a future of prosperity and peace in the Middle East should unite to build a better future.

Together, we can push back the forces of darkness and create a future of light and hope for all of us.

Netanyahu’s message that the war could end if Hamas released the hostages and laid down its arms has been a consistent one for months. But the explicit offer to those holding Israeli hostages — now without the direction of  Sinwar’s leadership — was new.

Iran Terror Proxies Close to Israel's Borders

Published on October 15th

Iran terror proxies amass on Israel’s borders in 'Ring of Fire’

For more than four decades, the Iranian regime has meticulously constructed a "Ring of Fire" around Israel, employing various terror groups to extend its influence across the Middle East. However, recent military actions by Israel have begun to unravel this intricate network, indicating a potential turning point in the ongoing conflict.

Amnon Sofrin, former head of the Intelligence Directorate at Mossad, told Fox News Digital, "In central Tehran, there is a huge clock that was set up in 2015, showing how much time is left for Israel, indicating that by 2040, Israel should no longer exist. They have been preparing for this moment. Some of the Iran-backed militias conducted reconnaissance with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and claimed they would assist once the [Israel Defense Forces] IDF entered Lebanon.

"However," Sofrin added, "we are already inside Lebanon, and no pro-Iranian militia has yet provided help. Iran isn’t giving the order to its other proxies in the region to join the ground war—at least not yet."

While Tehran's other terror proxies have yet to engage directly in ground battles, they have demonstrated their "support" in other ways. Earlier this month, drones loaded with explosives were launched by pro-Iranian militias from Iraq against an Israeli military base in the Golan Heights, killing two Israeli soldiers and injuring 24.

This is not the first time these pro-Iran militia groups in Iraq have claimed responsibility for attacks on Israel. In April, an unmanned aerial vehicle launched from Iraq infiltrated Israeli territory through Jordan and exploded on a structure at an IDF base in Eilat without being intercepted. "That was a sophisticated maneuver, sending it through Jordan to Eilat," said Sofrin, "showing their high capabilities."

In Iraq, the Popular Mobilization Forces consist of approximately 25 to 30 Shiite militias that emerged in response to ISIS. These groups have served as Iran's boots on the ground, reinforcing its foothold in both Iraq and Syria.

Professor Uzi Rabi, director of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Tel Aviv University, explains, "The ones benefiting from ISIS's defeat are the pro-Iranian militias. Iraqi militias number around 60,000 to 70,000 individuals, making them a formidable force. This contingent is supported by the Shiite regime in Iraq and is woven into the fabric of the state, possessing military capabilities that extend beyond being mere militias; like Hezbollah in Lebanon, they are more than just a faction."

Israel on Iran

Posted on October 16th

Israel decides on possible Iran targets: 'Precise and deadly'

Israel reportedly has decided on the targets that it could strike in Iran in retaliation for the barrage of missiles Tehran fired at the country on Oct. 1, with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant vowing that there will be "a precise and deadly response."

The Times of Israel, citing Channel 12 news, reports that the Israeli Defense Forces have presented a list of potential targets to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Gallant as officials are conducting "sensitive coordination" with other countries in the Middle East.

"The targets are clear. Now it’s a matter of time," one source reportedly told Israel’s Kan news.

Another source told Kan that "the targets could also change at the 11th hour," according to The Times of Israel.

The newspaper quoted Gallant as saying Tuesday that he sees "eye-to-eye" with Netanyahu and military chief Herzi Halevi on "both the need and essence of the response" to Iran, which he described as being "precise and deadly."

Following the attack by Tehran, in which the U.S. helped defend Israel against the more than 180 missiles fired at it, Netanyahu vowed to make Iran "pay," prompting immediate speculation over what the counterattack would look like.

No casualties were reported in Israel, though one Palestinian was killed in the West Bank, and Biden has urged Netanyahu to issue nothing more than a "proportionate" counterstrike. 

However, speculation has mounted over the type of attack Israel could hit Iran with, and security analysts have begun reviewing strike options that range from hitting military sites, infrastructure important to the Iranian regime like oil refineries and ports, to even an attack on Iran’s expanding nuclear program.

EUROPE

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Ukraine Can Replenish Troops But Needs Weapons

Ukraine defense minister confident can replenish troops but in need of weapons, equipment from allies

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov spoke with Fox News Digital about Ukraine's war efforts as Russia's full-scale invasion enters its fourth year in February 2025, with both sides making very little gains on the battlefield.

As the winter fighting season begins soon, the Ukrainian government needs to step up its efforts to recruit new soldiers, train them and provide the necessary military equipment to win the war.

Even as the war has no end in sight, mobilization is proceeding according to plans laid out by the Ukrainian government.

"Since the adoption of the law on mobilization this spring, we have increased mobilization indicators by 2.5 times. Twelve percent of military personnel now voluntarily join the ranks of the army thanks to a new recruitment system," Umerov told Fox News Digital in an email sent through the Ministry of Defense’s press office due to operational security concerns.

Ukraine passed a mobilization law in April to reform the military recruitment process while the war drags on and battlefield casualties mount.

The aim of the mobilization law, according to the defense minister, is to make the recruitment process more efficient and more transparent.

Umerov said that the positive numbers show that Ukrainians are ready to "defend their land with weapons in their hands."