EXCLUSIVE: Groundbreaking new prayer book designed for demographic most targeted for abortion
EXCLUSIVE – Marking Down Syndrome Awareness Day, Bishop Robert Barron’s publishing company, Word on Fire, is releasing a groundbreaking new book specifically designed to help adults with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities, who are disproportionately targeted for abortion, to pray. Written by Mark Bradford, an advocate for persons with intellectual disabilities, the book – titled “Let Us Pray: Catholic Prayers for All Abilities” – features simplified traditional prayers, large print for readability, and an accessible font for those with dyslexia and other reading challenges. Persons with Down syndrome are significantly more likely to be targeted for abortion. Between 67 and 87 percent of babies prenatally diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted, according to a study published by the NIH. KIDS WITH DOWN SYNDROME CAN LIVE ‘ABUNDANT LIVES,’ DAD TELLS FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR There are an estimated 250,000 persons with Down syndrome in the United States, and millions more with other types of intellectual challenges. Despite this, there has been no prayer book designed for adults with these learning challenges … until now. “Prayer is meant for every one of us,” Louisville Archbishop Edward Kurtz writes in the book’s foreword. Kurtz, who grew up with an older brother with Down syndrome, called the book a “beautiful gift” for those who desire to grow in their faith but have no means to do so. VANCE VOWS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WILL BE ‘BIGGEST DEFENDERS OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTIES,’ CATHOLICS Bradford told Fox News Digital that he was inspired to create the new book when he saw his 20-year-old son Thomas Augustine – who has Down syndrome – having to use a book with “horrible illustrations” designed for small children to pray the rosary. “There are no resources like this for adults with intellectual disabilities,” he explained. “I want this to be a resource that provides something beautiful to encourage adults with disabilities, and really anyone whose reading level is around the 3rd to 6th grade, to develop a habit of prayer using a book that was prepared just for them.” Fox News Digital obtained an exclusive copy of the book. Bradford explained that through the book’s visually striking but not childish imagery, easy-to-read text, and engaging layout, it can help anyone, especially those with learning challenges, to form a habit of prayer. According to Bradford, even the typeset chosen for the prayers is a unique font designed by a typographer in Holland specifically to assist dyslexic readers. CATHOLIC BISHOP INVITES AMERICANS TO ‘TAKE THE TIME TO FOCUS ON THE LORD’ DURING 10,000 HOUR PRAYER CAMPAIGN “Let Us Pray” includes four main sections: “Making a Habit of Prayer,” “Getting More Involved at Sunday Mass,” “Devotions” and “Prayers for Special Times,” which includes “Prayers for Your Life’s Purpose” and “Prayers When Someone You Love Has Died or Is Dying.” The book even includes a portion on “Prayers to End Abortion,” which acknowledges the “very sad” reality that many Down syndrome babies are selected for abortion because of their disability. “When some women find out they are going to have a baby, they are very sad and afraid. They don’t want their baby — sometimes especially if they find out the baby will have Down syndrome or another disability,” the book reads. “They need us to pray for them every day so that they say yes, just like Mary did, and have their special baby to love.” There is also a section at the end of the book for the reader to write down their own prayers. CHRIS PRATT CALLS FAITH THE ‘BEST PART’ OF HIS LIFE AFTER TEAMING UP WITH HALLOW APP Despite the stigma often associated with Down syndrome and other learning disabilities, Bradford said that through “Let Us Pray,” he wants to send the message that “EVERY human person made in God’s image is called into a relationship with him.” “Those living with intellectual disabilities can have a rich and fruitful prayer life,” he said. “That needs to be honored with resources that encourage prayer and the development of that relationship with their creator that happens through prayer.”
Bush DOJ lawyer warns Trump admin against ‘terrible mistake’ in judicial standoff
A top former Bush administration lawyer is warning the White House not to begin ignoring court orders amid its standoff over President Donald Trump’s deportation flights under the Alien Enemies Act. “I worry that there might be some people in the administration who would actually like to defy a judicial order. Which I think would be a terrible mistake,” John Yoo, Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of California at Berkeley, told Fox News Digital in an interview on Tuesday. More than a dozen injunctions have been levied to at least temporarily block Trump policies across the country, including his deportation flights, birthright citizenship reforms and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) efforts. Republican allies of the president have accused “activist judges” of seeking to override the executive in an improper breach of the co-equal branches of government. Yoo, who previously served as deputy assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel at the Department of Justice (DOJ) during former President George W. Bush’s first term, said such a fight between the executive and judicial branches could threaten the legal system as a whole. “There’s only been one time in our history a president has refused to carry out a judicial order. And that was Abraham Lincoln at the start of the Civil War,” Yoo said. “It’s almost something that really should only happen when the existence of the country is at stake, because if presidents don’t obey judicial orders, then they deprive the judiciary of their primary means for carrying out their decisions.” VANCE KNOCKS GLOBALIZATION’S ‘CHEAP LABOR’ AND LAUDS ‘AMERICA’S GREAT INDUSTRIAL COMEBACK’ AT AI SUMMIT “If the courts can’t render reliable decisions, then our legal system doesn’t function. If our legal system doesn’t function, the country is in really bad shape,” he added. The White House has repeatedly said it has not disobeyed any lawful court orders. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued an emergency order on March 15 to halt deportation flights of suspected gang members to El Salvador for a period of 14 days. The Trump administration has pointed out that the judge’s written order was issued after two planes carrying alleged gang members were already in the air, arguing it was too late to turn the planes around at that point. A third plane that took off after the first two was not carrying any Alien Enemies Act deportees, the administration said. “As I said from the podium and will continue to say, all of the flights that were subject to the written order of the judge took off before the order was pushed in the courtroom. And the president is well within his… Article II power and his authority under the Alien Enemies Act to make these decisions,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday. “And we think it’s egregious that a single district judge is trying to tell the President of the United States who he can and cannot deport from our soil, especially when it comes to designated foreign terrorists.” DOJ lawyers argued that Boasberg’s verbal order to turn the planes around, issued shortly before the written order, is non-enforceable. Josh Blackman, a constitutional law professor at South Texas College of Law Houston, said the case was “complex,” but warned judges should be careful not to overstep their authority on matters with coequal branches of government. “The judge held a hearing where, apparently, the ACLU presented oral arguments. The judge then issued an oral order where a DOJ lawyer was on the line. But the government was not able to make any arguments. The judge also did not give the government the time to take a timely appeal,” Blackman told Fox News Digital on Tuesday. “As a result, a judge is now inquiring why the government did not turn a plane around in international waters. Things are not so simple. Judges are losing sight of the fact that they are a coequal, and not superior, branch of government.” THESE ARE THE JUDGES GOING TOE TO TOE AGAINST TRUMP’S AGENDA Yoo also noted the case was complex and said both parties were in uncharted territory, but pointed out that verbal orders have been valid in albeit very different circumstances. “That’s playing a little cute, is what appears to have happened,” he said Tuesday of the administration’s argument on the verbal order. “But maybe that’s the case.” Yoo noted that often judges would make one-word rulings, such as denying motions, which are usually only then found in the written transcript of the proceedings, but he made clear the situation now was vastly different. “This is an unprecedented exercise of judicial power, in response to an unprecedented claim of authority by the president,” Yoo said. Boasberg is currently considering whether the Trump administration violated his court order, which the White House denies. A Friday hearing on whether to maintain the ban quickly grew contentious when the judge accused DOJ lawyers, without specifics, of being “disrespectful” in the court filings. The administration said Boasberg was engaging in a “judicial fishing expedition,” according to Reuters.
Red state leader defends decision to include 2020 election ‘discrepancies’ in high school curriculum
Facing criticism from the media and even from his state’s governor, the head of Oklahoma’s education system is defending a recently approved high school history curriculum that teaches about irregularities and “discrepancies” in the 2020 election. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, a Republican, said that the state is “in the middle of a dramatic turnaround” in education, made possible by President Donald Trump’s dismantling of the federal Department of Education. According to Walters, the changes are being spurred on by Oklahoma parents and grandparents, who he says are demanding the state “get back to the basics” of education and eliminate any left-wing or legacy media-driven narratives in school curricula. “We want these parameters around our standards so that we know our kids are going to be taught facts, not have a left-wing agenda pushed on them,” he said. “I think that that’s going to continue to be what parents and grandparents here demand. So, I think that we need to be listening to them.” EDUCATION LEADERS SAY TRUMP DISMANTLING KEY GOVERNMENT AGENCY ‘SAVED EDUCATION’ Perhaps the most controversial change among the state’s educational reforms is a recently approved set of Oklahoma Academic Standards for Social Studies document that instructs high school teachers to instruct students to “identify discrepancies in 2020 elections results by looking at graphs and other information, including the sudden halting of ballot-counting in select cities in key battleground states, the security risks of mail-in balloting, sudden batch dumps, an unforeseen record number of voters, and the unprecedented contradiction of ‘bellwether county’ trends.” The change has been widely lambasted by the media and by some leaders in the state. The New York Times reported state Rep. John Waldron, who is vice-chair of the Oklahoma House Democratic caucus, slammed Walters, saying the “superintendent campaigned to end indoctrination in our schools, but what he is doing instead with these new standards is promoting his own brand of indoctrination.” Meanwhile, a representative for Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt told Fox News Digital that the change is “just another distraction from making sure kids can read.” EXCLUSIVE: RED STATE SUING SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR ILLEGALLY TEACHING CRITICAL RACE THEORY Walters, however, is refusing to budge. He claimed that by including discussion about the 2020 election, the state is not pushing a particular viewpoint but rather encouraging students to be “critical thinkers.” “The left doesn’t want kids to look at the numbers, look at the data and ask questions about the election. Look, we’ve never had an election like 2020. I mean, literally all of the processes were changed leading up to it. Our kids need to do a deep dive in that,” he said. “We’re going to make sure when our kids study history, they’re looking at numbers, are looking at data, they’re looking at what the historical records show us.” Walters believes this is a “crucial step in ensuring when teachers talk about the 2020 election, [they tell students to] look at the numbers, look at the data.” “Let students do that deep dive. I think it makes them better students. I think it makes them more well-rounded people,” he said. “I also think it teaches them to think for themselves when you move into the future. Hey, don’t take anybody’s word for it. Do your own research. Do your own study. I think that’s a really important message that we’ve got to get across to our kids.” LINDA MCMAHON: MY VISION FOR ELIMINATING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Though already approved by the state Board of Education, the standards still need approval from the legislature or governor. While he said he is “optimistic” the legislature will approve the curriculum, Walters took aim at Stitt, accusing him of being a “never Trumper.” “It’s really unfortunate,” he said. “If the governor wants to come out and force students and tell them that Joe Biden won the 2020 election and that he doesn’t want them to look at facts or think about it, that’s way out of step with Oklahomans.” SCOOP: HOUSE REPUBLICAN MOVES TO CODIFY TRUMP ORDER TO DISMANTLE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION In response, Abegail Cave, a representative for Stitt, said the governor was more concerned about declining test scores in the state. She accused Walters and some members of the education board of being “more focused on making headlines and political wins than they were actually making sure Oklahoma kids could read.” Cave called the idea that Stitt is a never Trumper “ridiculous.” “He voted for Donald Trump and he’s not a never Trumper. That’s again Ryan Walters trying to spin the narrative and muddy the waters for no reason,” she said. Cave pointed out Stitt’s recent public appearances praising Trump’s actions against the federal Department of Education, saying “the governor is a firm believer that we should leave education to the states.”
Dem House candidate’s resurfaced posts call for trans children to have ‘free’ access to medical services
A Democratic candidate for Congress in Florida is being criticized for pushing “radical gender ideology” after resurfaced social media posts show him advocating for children to receive gender transition treatment. “Banning health care for any human being is a violation of human rights,” Josh Weil, Democratic candidate for Congress in FL-06 posted on X, then known as Twitter, in March 2021. “#TransRightsAreHumanRights and while we’re at it #MedicareForAll so that all trans children have free, and safe access to the medical services they need.” Weil was responding to a post from the ACLU that said, “BREAKING: Arkansas has become the first state to ban health care for trans youth.” TRUMP ADMIN ASKS FEDERAL JUDGE TO DISSOLVE INJUNCTION BARRING TRANSGENDER MILITARY BAN In another post, Weil objected to a bill in Iowa that, according to the user he responded to, “would require teachers to give parents 7-days notice if they plan to ask their kids about their preferred pronouns.” “In addition to all the harm this will do to trans and enby youth, this bill will 100% result in a loss of teachers,” Weil posted on X. “Every time, in every state, whenever lawmakers try to drop their baggage and bs on teachers, teachers leave.” FORMER NCAA RUNNER DEMANDS ‘STOLEN’ CHAMPIONSHIP BE RETURNED AFTER LOSS TO BIOLOGICAL MALE Fox News Digital reached out to the Weil campaign but did not receive a response. “Democrats have learned absolutely nothing,” NRCC Spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole told Fox News Digital. “Not only are they lighting donors’ money on fire by investing in a district where they have no path to victory, but they’re also choosing to invest in a candidate who has pushed radical gender ideology that is wildly unpopular with voters. Josh Weil is so dangerous, even AOC and David Hogg – the vice chair of the DNC – are running from him.” Weil, a public school teacher from Orlando, is running against Republican State Sen. Randy Fine to replace former GOP Rep. Michael Waltz, who moved into the Trump administration to serve as the president’s national security adviser. Early voting has started in the election, which will be held on Tuesday, April 1.
Tesla trouble in Ontario: Dozens of vehicles damaged in one location
Dozens of Tesla vehicles were damaged at a dealership in Ontario, Canada, Hamilton Police Service (HPS) confirmed to Fox News Digital. Authorities said that the incident occurred overnight on March 18, and that the “damage included deep scratches and punctured tires.” HPS told Fox News Digital that officers are still working on getting footage from the Tesla vehicles as, “some vehicle camera systems were recording during the mischief incident.” They were also able to obtain “limited” footage from the area. As of Saturday, it was still too early in the investigation for HPS to determine a motive or how many people were involved. HPS said they do not have any suspects. The night before this incident, police in London, Ontario, were reportedly called to the scene of a fire that is allegedly being investigated as suspicious. On March 17, a Tesla was set on fire, causing an estimated $140,000 in damage, London Police Service said in a press release. PRESIDENT TRUMP SUGGESTS SENDING TESLA VANDALS TO EL SALVADOR’S NOTORIOUS PRISONS Vandalism and attacks on Tesla vehicles and dealerships have been on the rise over the last few weeks. Many of the attacks appear to be politically motivated acts against Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk due to his work with the Department of Government Efficiency. The Trump administration began cracking down on Tesla vandals earlier this week, with Attorney General Pam Bondi saying the string of attacks was “nothing short of domestic terrorism.” She vowed that the Department of Justice (DOJ) would “continue investigations that impose severe consequences on those involved in these attacks.” TESLA VEHICLES, DEALERSHIPS TARGETED WITH ARSON, GUNFIRE AND VANDALISM IN AT LEAST 9 STATES: FBI On Thursday, the DOJ announced that three individuals were charged in connection with the “violent destruction of Tesla properties.” The defendants face charges that carry a minimum penalty of 5 years in prison, but could face up to 20 years behind bars. “The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended,” Bondi said in a DOJ statement. “Let this be a warning: if you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP On Friday, President Donald Trump floated the idea of Tesla vandals serving time in El Salvadorian prisons in a post on Truth Social. “I look forward to watching the sick terrorist thugs get 20 year jail sentences for what they are doing to Elon Musk and Tesla,” Trump wrote. “Perhaps they could serve them in the prisons of El Salvador, which have become so recently famous for such lovely conditions!” Since January 2025, Tesla vehicles have been targeted in at least nine states, according to the FBI. The bureau has urged the public to “exercise vigilance” near Tesla properties. Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
‘Chaos and confusion’: How Democrats infiltrated ‘thunderous’ GOP town halls
Large campaign rallies and town halls are pillars of election year politics, but two months into President Donald Trump‘s second term, town halls are erupting across the country. While Republicans have largely been told to stay home, Democrats seem to be driving the narrative for the first time since Trump returned to the White House. Democrats last week launched a coordinated effort to host “People’s Town Halls” in all 50 states after disruptive protests led Republican leadership to advise against hosting in-person town halls. The first week of town halls brought a new wave of political drama and engagement resembling that of an election year. “When folks get out of the DC bubble and into communities across the country, there is one undeniably clear trend emerging: Americans are feeling betrayed by Republicans. Across party lines, people are furious that their lives, jobs, retirement, and health care are being cast aside to enrich the already ultra-wealthy. The reception to the People’s Town Halls has been thunderous — and we’re keeping them going through all 50 states. Americans want to be heard and Democrats are listening,” DNC Chair Ken Martin told Fox News Digital in a statement. CHAOS ERUPTS AT GOP LAWMAKER’S TOWN HALL AFTER LEFT-WING GROUPS PROMOTE PROTESTS Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., rallied nearly 12,000 Arizonans in Tempe on Thursday night on the second stop of a three-state West Coast swing. Thousands of supporters have cheered on Sanders at each stop of his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour. The rallies reject Trump’s executive reach and Elon Musk’s efforts to slash federal bureaucracy through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which Sanders argues is wreaking havoc and turning the country into an oligarchy. Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., the former vice presidential candidate, has been crisscrossing the country himself, targeting Republican districts where he says representatives are refusing to meet with their constituents. Walz exchanged barbs with Musk this week after he joked about regularly checking Tesla’s stock for an ego boost, which was down 41.4% year-to-date as of March amidst a string of violence against Tesla. “Sometimes when I need a little boost, I look at the @JDVance portrait in the White House and thank the Lord,” Musk replied on X to Walz’s comment at the “The People vs Musk” event on Tuesday. FLORIDA DEMS STAGE TOWN HALLS IN GOP DISTRICTS FEATURING ‘MISSING’ POSTERS OF THEIR COLLEAGUES Democrats have been without a clear party leader since Trump defeated former Vice President Kamala Harris in November 2024. While Sanders’ rallies began last month, Walz launched his own town hall-style event after Politico first reported that the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) advised House Republicans against hosting in-person town halls. Progressive protest groups last month organized disruptions at Republican-held town halls and local legislative offices, effectively shutting them down. Some lawmakers, including Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., reported safety concerns following threats of violence. Many Republicans have opted for tele-town halls as a result, citing productivity in a controlled environment. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson joined the Republican town hall deterrence, telling reporters that Republicans shouldn’t give “professional protesters” a forum to sell their soundbites and make headlines. Trump called the protesters ‘paid troublemakers’ and said it was ’all part of the game for the Democrats.’ After two months of playing defense, it seems Democrats have the ball in their court. BERNIE SANDERS, AOC TAKE AIM AT TRUMP AND MUSK, AS WELL AS DEMOCRATS, AT WESTERN RALLIES Like Walz, Democrats individually capitalized on the narrative that Republicans aren’t showing up for their constituents, and town halls began popping up in red districts across the country. Following their big November losses, the Democrats’ town halls have become an opportunity for lawmakers to score points with the slew of Americans infuriated with Trump’s second term and Musk’s DOGE cuts. Last Friday, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) seized the chance to present a united front following weeks of Republican criticism that Democrats lack clear messaging during Trump’s second term. The DNC’s coordinated effort includes the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), the Association of State Democratic Committees (ASDC) and Democratic state parties to “hold vulnerable Republican members of Congress accountable for their refusal to face their constituents and answer for their votes to put billionaires above working people.” The DNC’s initial launch included at least nine town halls in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska and Pennsylvania. As of Friday, there were at least 11 more town halls scheduled this weekend and next week. The DNC and Democratic state parties have held a total of 22 events so far in 13 states, the DNC tells Fox News Digital. As Democrats’ town halls find their way to every corner of the United States, David McIntosh, president of Club for Growth, a top conservative group, is now urging Congressional Republicans to participate in town halls, Fox News confirmed. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., was the only House GOP lawmaker whose office set up an in-person town hall this week while Congress is in recess. It ended in chaos on Tuesday night as angry Democratic protesters accused Republicans of trying to gut critical government programs. The audience questions accused Trump and Flood of not supporting the “rule of law.” The crowd repeatedly booed any mention of Musk or DOGE. DEM LEADER SWINGS THROUGH GOP-HELD DISTRICTS AFTER ‘CLOWN SHOW PROTESTS’ HALTED TOWN HALLS But Democrats’ town halls haven’t been without their own political theater. The Florida Democratic Party created “missing” posters of Republican representatives for their town halls. One by one in Clearwater on Saturday, Pinellas County constituents took turns addressing a “missing” poster of Rep. Ana Paulina Luna, R-Fla. Conservatives on social media slammed the “missing” posters as “nothing authentic or compelling.” “I have never seen the national Democratic Party in such chaos and confusion. Whether it’s childish stunts on the floor of Congress or performance art with their fake town halls, there is nothing authentic or compelling about their message, their tactics, or their delivery,” Republican consultant Frank
Sudan’s army seizes control of central bank amid steady gains in Khartoum
The capture of the bank comes a day after Sudanese army forces celebrated the seizure of the presidential palace. The Sudanese army claims to have seized control of the main headquarters of the country’s central bank from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as it continues to make advances in the capital. Nabil Abdallah, an army spokesman, said in a statement to the AFP news agency on Saturday that the soldiers had “eliminated hundreds of militia members who tried to escape through pockets in central Khartoum”. The bank’s takeover comes a day after the army seized control of the presidential palace in a significant military victory. But the RSF retaliated to Friday’s takeover with a drone attack that killed three journalists and several army personnel. Army sources told AFP that RSF fighters on Friday fled into buildings in al-Mogran, an area west of the palace housing banks and business headquarters. In the area, paramilitary forces posted snipers in high-rises that overlook the city of Omdurman across the Nile River and the ministries in central Khartoum. However, the battle for the government and the financial district could strengthen the army’s hold on the capital and give it a significant advantage in the conflict. Advertisement Reporting from Khartoum, Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan said the army had been making “steady gains” in the past few months. “They’ve been taking ground from the Rapid Support Forces in the northern part of the capital, in the eastern part of the capital, but there are still areas where the RSF are present and these are specifically around the western part of the country,” Morgan said. “Effectively, where this leaves Sudan right now is divided into two, with the army controlling the eastern, northern and parts of the southeast, and the RSF controlling the western and southwestern parts of the country,” she added. Since April 2023, the military, led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has been in an ongoing conflict with the RSF, headed by Burhan’s former deputy commander, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. But the two-year-long conflict has left the country in a deep humanitarian crisis, with tens of thousands of people killed and more than 12 million people displaced. Adblock test (Why?)
Sudanese army’s advancement is a “symbolic victory”
[unable to retrieve full-text content] “The bigger picture here is that Sudan continues to be a divided country.”
Lebanon warns of ‘new war’ as Israel launches fresh deadly strikes
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has said his country is at risk of being drawn into a “new war”, as dozens of new Israeli air strikes against the Hezbollah armed group killed at least two people. Salam issued the warning on Saturday, saying Israel’s “renewed military operations on the southern border” would bring “woes to Lebanon and the Lebanese people”. At least two people are confirmed killed and eight others injured by Israeli air raids, according to reports from Lebanon’s National News Agency.Three of the victims, including one of those killed, are children, it said, citing the country’s government-run Public Health Emergency Operations Center. Earlier in the day, Israeli artillery and air strikes hit southern Lebanon, after its military claimed it had intercepted three rockets launched from a Lebanese district about 6km (4 miles) north of the border. Israel said it targeted rocket launchers it claims belong to Hezbollah, which it holds responsible for the assault. The Israeli military said earlier it had intercepted Advertisement The Lebanese group Hezbollah issued a statement denying any involvement in the series of rocket attacks on northern Israel from southern Lebanon. In its statement, Hezbollah accused Israel of creating a pretext to renew its air attacks and reiterated its commitment to the ceasefire agreement signed in November. Quoting two security sources, Israel’s Army Radio has reported that the military response in southern Lebanon has not finished. “There will be additional strikes in the coming hours,” the sources said. Protracted conflict Saturday’s reported exchange was the first since Israel abandoned a separate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip with Palestinian group Hamas. Lebanon has also blamed Israel for the protracted conflict, after failing to withdraw from all Lebanese territory since a ceasefire deal was declared in November last year. Under the deal, a January deadline was set for an Israeli withdrawal but was later extended to February 18. Since then, Israel has remained in five locations inside Lebanon, and has carried out dozens of deadly strikes against supposed Hezbollah targets. On Saturday, Salam declared that “all security and military measures must be taken to show that Lebanon decides on matters of war and peace”. In a separate statement, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned “attempts” to destabilise his country and reignite violence, as he called for action to prevent further escalation of the conflict. Israel has also justified the latest attacks on Hezbollah, saying Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s order was “in response to the rocket fire at Israel this morning”. Advertisement In a statement, Netanyahu said that he and Defence Minister Israel Katz instructed the Israeli military “to act forcefully against dozens of terror targets in Lebanon”. Netanyahu said Israel was holding Lebanon’s government responsible for “everything taking place within its territory”. Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr, reporting from Beirut, said there is “a lot of concern that the situation will spiral out of control”. “What we understand is Lebanese officials are holding talks with the US-led committee monitoring the ceasefire to try to de-escalate tensions,” she said. Gaza war spillover The conflict in Lebanon marked the deadliest spillover of the Gaza war, rumbling across the border for months before escalating into a blistering Israeli offensive that wiped out Hezbollah’s top commanders, many of its fighters and much of its arsenal. The United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, said in a written statement on Saturday that it was “alarmed” by the border violence. “Any further escalation of this volatile situation could have serious consequences for the region,” it said. In an interview with Al Jazeera, political analyst Sultan Barakat of Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Doha warned that “as long as the [Israeli] occupation continues … the resistance will continue”. Adblock test (Why?)
Meerut Murder Case: Cab driver reveals shocking details, claims Muskaan and Sahil did this during their trip to Shimla, Manali
Ajab Singh, the driver who took the couple on a trip through Himachal Pradesh, said their behaviour did not indicate that they had just committed a brutal crime.