A New Perspective on Constantine

(Worthy News) – Russia on Thursday blocked a U.N. Security Council Resolution drafted by the U.S. that called for “significant measures” in response to North Korea’s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

The U.S. circulated the statement among the 15-member council after announcing plans for a new sanctions resolution against the nuclear-armed regime in North Korea. But an objection by Russia killed the statement, said a U.N. diplomat.

Russian officials argued that the missile launch Tuesday had not been verified as an intercontinental missile.

North Korea claimed it was an ICBM. The U.S. and U.N. also determined that Hwasong-14 missile launched by North Korea was of intercontinental range. [ Source ]

(Worthy News) – Russia’s air force has struck positions held by the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) in Syria from more than 600 miles away using its most modern cruise missile technology.

Tu-95MS long-range strategic bombers departed Wednesday from an airfield in the southern Russian city of Engels equipped with the latest Kh-101 long-range cruise missiles and successfully targeted an ISIS command center and three weapons storage depots in Aqirbat, a town in the western governorate of Hama, according to a Russian Defense Ministry statement cited by Reuters. The aircraft were reportedly supported by Su-30SM fighters based in Syria’s Hmeymim airbase, which has been leased to Russia by the Moscow-backed Syrian government. The operation is the most recent in a series of blows administered to ISIS by separate forces backed by Russia and the U.S. [ Source ]

(Worthy News) – Eleven years after the Second Lebanon War, stopping Hezbollah from improving the accuracy of its missiles and rockets is the “top priority” of the army, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Eisenkot said the IDF has used the time since the Second Lebanon War to dramatically improve its abilities, and now has better intelligence and operational capabilities than ever before.

According to Eisenkot, relative quiet has prevailed along the northern border since the Second Lebanon War ended, and Israelis “should put things in perspective and not panic” regarding reports that Iran has helped Hezbollah to operate and manage underground weapons factories. [ Source ]

(Worthy News) – It is perhaps the key piece of forensic evidence in Russia’s suspected efforts to sway the November presidential election, but federal investigators have yet to get their hands on the hacked computer server that handled email from the Democratic National Committee.

Indeed, the only cybersecurity specialists who have taken a look at the server are from CrowdStrike, the Irvine, California-based private cybersecurity company that the DNC hired to investigate the hack — but which has come under fire itself for its work.

Some critics say CrowdStrike’s evidence for blaming Russia for the hack is thin. Members of Congress say they still believe Russia was responsible but wonder why the DNC has never allowed federal investigators to get a look at the key piece of evidence: the server. Either way, a key “witness” in the political scandal consuming the Trump administration remains beyond the reach of investigators. [ Source ]