Helicopter Crash Which Killed Iran President Ebrahim Raisi Reportedly Caused by Climate Conditions

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The May 19, 2024 helicopter crash which resulted in the death of Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and seven others was caused by climatic and atmospheric conditions, an official investigation concluded, The Associated Press (AP) reported.

The Supreme Board of the General Staff of the Armed Forces released its final report attributing the crash primarily to the springtime climatic conditions in the region, according to AP. The report detailed that the helicopter encountered a sudden and dense fog, which caused it to collide with a mountain, according to the outlet.

Officials confirmed there were no indications of sabotage affecting the helicopter’s parts or systems. Raisi and his foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, were among the eight fatalities in the crash, which occurred in a remote mountainous area in northwestern Iran, AP reported. There were no survivors found at the scene during the search and rescue operation.

It was previously reported that the crash occurred as Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian were traveling from Azerbaijan, where they attended the inauguration of a dam with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. In response to the tragedy, the Iranian cabinet convened an emergency meeting, according to the state news agency IRNA. (Read more from “Helicopter Crash Which Killed Iran President Ebrahim Raisi Reportedly Caused by Climate Conditions” HERE)

Zelensky Demands Using U.S. Weapons on Targets in Russia

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The war in Ukraine continues to rage on two-and-a-half years after Russian forces breached their neighbor’s borders. The protraction of the conflict has only made a Russian victory—through a favorable settlement or Ukrainian surrender—more likely, though it will come at a much higher cost to the Russians than originally anticipated by both Moscow and Washington. The simple truth is that Russia has more men, more resources, and is not reliant on the goodwill of Western benefactors.

While continued aid from the United States keeps the Ukrainian war effort afloat, that aid has come with certain strings attached. U.S. weapons given to Ukraine, for example, cannot be used to strike targets within Russian territory.

Whether Ukraine has upheld its end of the bargain is unlikely. Ukraine has privately received permission from President Joe Biden to use U.S. weapons in strikes on Russia in the past. Now, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is looking to negotiate, not with Russia but with the United States and other benefactors, to permanently loosen those restraints.

While Zelenskyy has made a habit of making this request, he did so again fervently on Monday after Russia launched one of its largest drone and missile strikes of the campaign so far.

In a video statement posted to X on Monday, Zelenskyy said the Russian strike “involv[ed] over a hundred missiles of various types and around a hundred ‘Shaheds’ [attack drones].”

(Read more from “Zelensky Demands Using U.S. Weapons on Targets in Russia” HERE)

Biden’s Afghanistan: Taliban Bans MMA

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The Taliban terrorist organization ruling Afghanistan confirmed on Wednesday that it had formally banned mixed martial arts (MMA), a sport that began thriving in the country in the final years before the fall of Kabul in 2021.

The edict banning MMA followed the publication of an extensive decree last week by the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice listing a host of new prohibitions on the private lives of Afghans. The decree officially banned women from showing their faces or using their voices in public and mandated beards and “Islamic” haircuts on men, among other restrictions.

MMA was a nascent sport in Afghanistan when, following the disastrous decision by leftist American President Joe Biden to extend the 20-year Afghan War beyond an agreed-upon May 2021 deadline, the Taliban seized control of Kabul and the Afghan federal government. The Taliban has remained the uncontested ruling power in Afghanistan since, although it has not received formal recognition as such from any other country nor from the United Nations.

The Agence France-Presse (AFP) confirmed the MMA ban with Taliban officials on Wednesday.

“It was found that the sport is problematic with respect to sharia and it has many aspects which are contradictory to the teachings of Islam,” the Taliban’s sports agency said in a statement. “That’s why this decision has been made to ban mixed martial arts in Afghanistan.” (Read more from “Biden’s Afghanistan: Taliban Bans MMA” HERE)

Telegram’s CEO Charged in France, Banned From Leaving Territory

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Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov was charged by French prosecutors for the alleged illegal use of his platform on Wednesday.

He faces six charges and has been ordered to remain in French territory, Politico reported. He has been detained in the country since Saturday after being arrested in Paris at Le Bourget Airport.

Durov’s bail is set at 5 million euros — or $5.56 million, CNN reported. Additionally, Durov must report to the French police station two times each week, according to CNN. . .

France’s Tribunal Judiciare De Paris announced Durov’s 12 charges pertaining to Telegram’s moderation policies on Monday according to a press release. The document listed allegations that Telegram was complicit in illegal activities, among them the alleged distribution of child pornography and “organized fraud.”

He is also been charged for allegedly refusing to cooperate with authorities.

(Read more from “Telegram’s CEO Charged in France, Banned From Leaving Territory” HERE)

WATCH: China on Verge of Starting a War With Its Neighbors, Including U.S. Allies

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The People’s Republic of China is on the verge of starting a war with its neighbors, and by extension the U.S., as it increases its aggression in a series of situations, close calls, over the past week.

The U.S. Naval Institute reported Monday that China violated Japanese airspace after it flew a Y-9 electronic intelligence aircraft over the Danjo Islands in the East China Sea, which is part of Japan’s territorial waters.

Japanese officials stated in response to the violation, Self-Defense Forces launched two fighter jets from its Western Air Command, and issued notices and warnings, and further released a protest against the airspace violation.

Japan’s Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Masataka Okano, summoned the Chinese ambassador to the Foreign Affairs of Japan, strongly urging the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to prevent any further recurrences.

According to Japan’s National Institute for Defense Studies’ 2024 China Security Report, China viewed the U.S. as a threat to its Chinese Communist Party after the Cold War, however, China avoided confrontation and instead worked on promoting cooperation between the two nations. (Read more from “WATCH: China on Verge of Starting a War With Its Neighbors, Including U.S. Allies” HERE)

China Poised to Cut Off U.S. Military From Key Mineral as America’s Own Reserves Lay Buried Under Red Tape

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China is planning to restrict exports of a key mineral needed to make weapons while a U.S. company that could be reducing America’s reliance on foreign suppliers is languishing in red tape, energy experts told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The Chinese government announced on August 15 that it will restrict exports of antimony, a critical mineral that dominates the production of weapons globally and is essential for producing equipment like munitions, night vision goggles and bullets that are essential to national security, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Perpetua Resources, an American mining company, has been navigating red tape for years to develop a mine in Valley County, Idaho, that could decrease reliance on the Chinese supply of antimony, but the slow permitting process is getting in the way, energy experts told the DCNF.

It can take years to secure all the necessary approvals and permits to develop a mine like the one Perpetua Resources is trying to operate. One of the key permitting laws in place is the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which also applies to federal land management actions and the construction of certain public infrastructure projects like highways.

“After six years of planning and early engagement, we began the [NEPA] permitting process in 2016. We are now eight years into NEPA,” a Perpetua Resources spokesperson told the DCNF. The company is hoping to extract antimony from the largest known deposit in the U.S., and Perpetua Resources’ development could also produce millions of ounces of gold as well. (Read more from “China Poised to Cut Off U.S. Military From Key Mineral as America’s Own Reserves Lay Buried Under Red Tape” HERE)

Multiple People Killed, Several Injured in ‘Diversity Festival’ Mass Stabbing

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At least three people were reportedly killed and several others were left in serious condition after a mass stabbing at a “Festival of Diversity” in the German city of Solingen on Friday evening.

. . .Germany’s Bild newspaper has reported that eyewitnesses said that they saw an “Arab-looking man” flee from the scene of the attack. The suspect is still at large at the time of this reporting. The knifeman reportedly targeted the necks of his victims, leading police to suspect terrorism.

Tragedy struck as the city of Solingen celebrated its 650th anniversary with a “Festival of Diversity” as a reported mass stabbing took place as festival goers gathered in the city centre. . .

A witness to the incident told the paper that he was standing in front of the music stage at the event when he saw a “person fall over just one meter next to me”.

The witness said that at first, he thought the other person may have been drunk, but then he saw several pools of blood surrounding the victim. (Read more from “Multiple People Killed, Several Injured in ‘Diversity Festival’ Mass Stabbing” HERE)

WATCH: Tensions Escalate in South China Sea as Ships Collide

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Tensions are heating up in the South China Sea, as Chinese and Philippine ships once again collide in the long disputed waters.

Chinese vessels collided with Philippine coast guard ships near the disputed atoll of Sabina Shoal in the Spratly Islands. The Chinese were quick to accuse the Philippines of crashing their vessel into them deliberately.

Chinese Coast Guard spokesperson Gan Yu said in a statement the Philippines ignored several warnings, and caused the collision by dangerously ramming Chinese law enforcement.

“The Philippine side is entirely responsible for the collision. We warn the Philippine side to immediately stop its infringement and provocation, otherwise it will bear all the consequences arising from that,” Gan said.

China Daily reported the Philippines then engaged in a second incident a few hours later, the CCG further accused the Philippines of seriously infringing on China’s sovereignty, and undermining regional peace in a separate statement. (Read more from “WATCH: Tensions Escalate in South China Sea as Ships Collide” HERE)

Archaeologists Reveal Artifacts Matching Jesus Christ’s Journey Through Israel

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Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) revealed in early August the discovery of the largest quarry in Jerusalem from the Second Temple period.

Ongoing revelations from excavations in Jerusalem’s Har Hotzvim neighborhood revealed a slew of building stones within the quarry site that ranged in size but were mostly massive, according to the IAA. Researchers believe some stones were likely used as paving slabs throughout Jerusalem’s streets at the time. . .

The road was walked by Jesus Christ and His disciples and connects to the Pool of Siloam, where Jesus performed one of his miracles — returning sight to the blind, The Christian Post noted. Site excavations are ongoing. And like most of the archaeological digs in Israel, it is likely to keep revealing incredible things into the future.

(Read more from “Archaeologists Reveal Artifacts Matching Jesus Christ’s Journey Through Israel” HERE)

Triple Threat: Italian Man’s Disturbing Diagnosis After Trip to Spain

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As the WHO declares monkeypox a global threat in 2024, one story from 2022 is making headlines again.

Two years ago, an Italian man was believed to be the first patient ever diagnosed with monkeypox, COVID-19, and HIV — all at the same time.

While before 2022, it was not believed that COVID-19 and monkeypox infections could occur simultaneously, the man has apparently proven the scientists wrong.

The man reportedly first developed a fever, sore throat, and headaches nine days after returning from a trip to Spain, where he had unprotected sex with other men, and first tested positive for COVID-19 on July 2, 2022.

Within just hours of the positive test, he began developing a rash and painful blisters all over his body before heading to the ER. It was there that he tested positive for monkeypox and learned that he also had HIV. (Read more from “Triple Threat: Italian Man’s Disturbing Diagnosis After Trip to Spain” HERE)