A powerful new Easter song, 'Risen', by Shawna Edwards, features the angelic voices of 55 children from the One Voice Children's Choir, proclaiming Jesus' sacrifice and message of hope. The heartwarming music video showcases the innocence and purity of childhood as they sing about our risen Lord, making it a perfect accompaniment to your Easter celebrations.

On Thursday, President Trump oversaw the inaugural meeting in Washington, DC, of the Board of Peace for Gaza. In televised remarks, he called tense negotiations with Iran “good talks,” but then hinted at regime change. “Now we may have to take it a step further, or we may not,” Trump added. Then he set  a […] The post 90% Chance the US Will Strike Iran, UK Blocks US from RAF Bases appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

U.S. intelligence and military officials say a coordinated operation moved nearly 6,000 detainees linked to the Islamic State from unstable prisons in northeastern Syria into Iraqi custody, a transfer aimed at preventing a potential mass breakout and a resurgence of the terror group. The relocation mission, led by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), began on January 21, when American forces transported an initial group of 150 Islamic State fighters from a detention facility in Hasakah, Syria, to secure facilities in Iraq. CENTCOM said as many as 7,000 detainees could ultimately be transferred from Kurdish-run prisons in northeastern Syria into Iraqi-controlled facilities to ensure continued detention amid shifting conditions on the ground.  In a press release last month, CENTCOM described the mission as an effort to keep Islamic State detainees in secure custody and prevent them from exploiting regional instability to escape.  In an interview, a senior U.S. intelligence official told Fox News that agencies had tracked the situation for months as fighting erupted in Aleppo and spread eastward, threatening prisons that have long held ISIS fighters. If those facilities had collapsed amid the chaos, the official said, thousands of militants could have returned to active operations —“the instant reconstitution of ISIS.”  Officials involved in the operation said a sustained period of interagency coordination, including daily calls led by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), was crucial. An ODNI press release confirmed that its National Counterterrorism Center provided intelligence support and helped coordinate with CENTCOM, the U.S. State Department, and the Pentagon on the transfers. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the effort “ensure[d] the progress … to dismantle ISIS persists” and credited sustained intelligence analysis for the secure removal of detainees.  CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said facilitating the detainee transfers is “critical to preventing a breakout that would pose a direct threat to the United States and regional security.”  The operation concluded with the transfer of more than 5,700 adult male detainees into Iraqi custody. According to the Associated Press, Iraqi authorities have begun interrogations of many transferred prisoners and intend to pursue prosecutions under Iraqi law.  The transfer effort comes amid a broader reshaping of authority in northeastern Syria. Long guarded by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), many detention facilities came under threat as government forces advanced in the region and Kurdish control weakened. While some detainees were recaptured after a small break occurred at a prison near al-Shaddadi earlier in the month, officials said the larger transfer helped reduce the risk of a broader ISIS resurgence. A separate and unresolved concern remains the fate of ISIS-linked families and civilians held in nearby camps. Reports indicate that facilities such as al-Hol have largely emptied amid recent shifts in control, with many former residents dispersing across Syria or crossing borders into neighboring countries. Humanitarian groups and security experts have raised alarms about the chaotic departure of women and children, citing risks of trafficking, radicalization, and lawlessness.  Human Rights Watch has also voiced concerns about the treatment and legal rights of detainees now held in Iraq. The organization warned that the transfers could expose prisoners to abuse, unfair trials, and torture without appropriate legal safeguards, underscoring a broader debate over how to handle ISIS suspects while maintaining regional security.  U.S. officials say the focus now shifts to biometric identification, coordinating with detainees’ countries of origin for repatriation, and ensuring that intelligence gathered from the transfers can support future prosecutions. Given the unprecedented scale of the operation and the fluid security situation in Syria, American and Iraqi authorities say their long-term counterterrorism strategy will depend on balancing security, legal accountability, and international cooperation. 

Kansas will enact legislation banning males who identify as female from using women’s bathrooms after Republican lawmakers overrode Democrat Governor Laura Kelly’s veto.  The Kansas House voted 87-37 on Wednesday to overturn Kelly’s veto of a bill, which requires that multi-occupancy private spaces in public buildings be separate by sex. The state Senate previously voted 31-9 on Tuesday to do the same.  “Today, Speaker Hawkins and I signed the veto override for SB 244. Common sense has prevailed against Laura Kelly and the radical left, and now women and girl’s (sic) private spaces will be protected from biological men,” Senate President Ty Masterson wrote on social media on Wednesday, sharing a photo alongside House Speaker Dan Hawkins.  Today, Speaker Hawkins and I signed the veto override for SB 244. Common sense has prevailed against Laura Kelly and the radical left, and now women and girl’s private spaces will be protected from biological men. pic.twitter.com/8UCu7tUzzK — Ty Masterson (@TyMastersonKS) February 18, 2026 The law applies to multi-occupancy restrooms, locker rooms, changing rooms, and shower facilities designated for use by males or females. The legislation also defines “gender” for purposes of state law as a person’s biological sex and requires driver’s licenses to reflect a person’s sex rather than gender identity. Birth certificates must also list a person’s sex.  Responding to the override, Kelly said the bill was “poorly drafted” and would have “far-reaching consequences.”  She claimed it would prohibit “brothers from visiting sisters’ dorms and husbands from wives’ shared hospital rooms.” The bill’s passage was condemned by leftist groups such as the ACLU of Kansas.  “This discriminatory bill undermines our state’s strong constitutional protections against government overreach and persecution,” said Micah Kubic, executive director of the ACLU of Kansas.  U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) praised the state legislature for overriding the veto.  “Congratulations to the Kansas Legislature on this important win for our state. Grateful for the strong leadership of Senate President Ty Masterson, Speaker Dan Hawkins, and the entire Legislature for standing up to radical left gender ideology, and delivering commonsense protections for Kansas girls,” said Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) on Wednesday.  The veto override was also praised by American Principles Project President Terry Schilling. “Gov. Laura Kelly tried to smuggle boys into your daughters’ locker room. And when Kansans blocked her, she pretended it was about hospital visitation,” he told The Daily Wire. “What Laura Kelly and Democrats lack in common sense, they make up for with bald-faced lies and indifference to the safety of children.” Last year, Kansas’s GOP supermajority overrode Kelly’s veto to enact a law banning transgender medical procedures for children.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers can now detain refugees who haven’t obtained green cards within their first year in the United States as part of a larger crackdown on fraud and potential national security threats, according to a new federal memo. The Trump administration is now instructing federal officers to arrest the refugees and “re-vet” them, according to the memo, which was obtained by CBS News. The Feb. 18 memo states that refugees who haven’t become legal permanent residents after one year, meaning they never obtained a green card, must avail themselves to federal immigration authorities to have their cases reviewed. If they fail to do so voluntarily, they may face arrest by ICE. ICE can then hold them “for the duration of the inspection and examination process,” according to the memo, which came from acting ICE Director Todd Lyons and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow. “The detain-and-inspect requirement ensures that refugees are re-vetted after one year, aligns post-admission vetting with that applied to other applicants for admission, and promotes public safety,” the memo reads. “The changes are designed to better enforce the statutory requirement that aliens admitted as refugees who have been present in the United States for at least one year return or be returned to DHS custody for inspection and examination for admission as an LPR [legal permanent resident]. They further reflect the public policy interest in thorough vetting of aliens admitted as refugees, including vetting for national security, public safety, and fraud-related issues.” Former ICE New York field office deputy director Scott Mechkowski told The Daily Wire that the move is “essential,” given “evolving global threats.” “This ensures that our immigration system remains resilient against potential fraud or emerging risks and thereby protecting American communities and upholding the integrity of our humanitarian commitments without compromising public safety,” Mechkowski said. Previously, refugees couldn’t be detained solely because of their failure to get residency within their first year in the United States, according to CBS. ICE also had just 48 hours to decide whether to release refugees or place them into deportation proceedings if there were any red flags. Andrew Arthur, a former immigration judge and current resident fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, told The Daily Wire “that the prior policy was not consistent with the language of section 209(a) of the INA [Immigration and Nationality Act],” which states that refugees who fail to obtain a green card in the first year “shall, at the end of such year period, return or be returned to the custody of the Department of Homeland Security for inspection and examination for admission.” “The whole idea behind that refugee scheme is that certain foreign nationals are so endangered that we must allow them in, and then we will complete the inspection after they have been here for a year — a fact that should be clear from the statute,” Arthur said. Many refugees let in during the Biden administration “may not have met the definition of ‘refugee'” as spelled out in the Immigration and Nationality Act “because they lacked a well-founded fear of persecution on account of the five factors (race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion) therein,” Arthur said. Last year, the Trump administration set the refugee cap at the lowest level in the country’s history, allowing just 7,500 immigrants to enter. The federal government also commenced a review of refugees brought into the country during the Biden administration, according to CBS. An Afghan national who was brought into the country by the Biden administration in 2021 shot two National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 26. Specialist Sarah Beckstrom tragically succumbed to the injuries she sustained in the ambush. The attack sparked a pause on all immigration applications from foreigners who hail from “high risk” countries. Refugee advocates say the latest move by the Trump administration will open the floodgates for the Trump administration’s deportation campaign. “This policy is a transparent effort to detain and potentially deport thousands of people who are legally present in this country, people the U.S. government itself welcomed after years of extreme vetting,” said Beth Oppenheim, the CEO of HIAS, which helps with refugee resettlement, according to CBS.

President Donald Trump tied disgraced former British royal Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to the late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein during a 2015 interview, advising reporters to question “Prince Andrew” if they wanted to know what went on at Epstein’s notorious private island. Trump, who was asked to comment on Epstein, said at the time that it was clear the disgraced financier had “a problem” — and that Andrew, who has since been stripped of his royal title and status, was in a position to know more about Epstein’s behaviors than most. WATCH:

Bill Gates abruptly withdrew from a keynote address at India’s high-profile AI summit just hours before his scheduled appearance, as intensifying scrutiny over his historical connections to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein continues to damage his public standing. Gates Foundation Offers Vague Explanation for Summit Withdrawal Bill Gates canceled his scheduled keynote address at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi on Thursday, with the Gates Foundation providing only a procedural explanation. The foundation’s statement emphasized ensuring “the focus remains on the AI Summit’s key priorities” without addressing the timing of the withdrawal or underlying concerns. Gates offered no personal statement regarding his decision to skip the high-visibility international technology event, which featured world leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres. Epstein Controversy Creates Ongoing Reputational Damage Gates faces persistent questions about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died in federal custody in 2019. The Microsoft co-founder met with Epstein multiple times after Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea to soliciting prostitution from a minor, meetings that Gates has acknowledged but characterized as focused on philanthropy. The resurfacing scrutiny appears to have influenced Gates’ decision to withdraw from the India summit, though neither Gates nor his foundation explicitly confirmed this connection in public statements. India’s AI Summit Plagued by Multiple Problems The India AI Impact Summit has encountered significant organizational failures beyond Gates’ withdrawal. Event attendees reported long lines, operational delays, and stolen personal belongings on Monday when the summit opened. On Wednesday, organizers expelled a private Indian university from the summit after officials discovered the institution falsely claimed a commercially available Chinese-made robotic dog as its own innovation. These setbacks undermine India’s effort to position itself as a credible global AI hub capable of attracting the massive technology investments Prime Minister Narendra Modi is pursuing. Major technology companies have committed substantial resources to India’s AI development, with Microsoft pledging $17.5 billion over four years, Google committing $15 billion over five years, and Amazon announcing $35 billion by 2030. Gates’ absence from discussions about democratizing AI technology for developing nations represents a missed opportunity for India to leverage his foundation’s extensive work in global development and technology access. The withdrawal diminishes the summit’s international stature at a critical moment when India seeks to establish credibility as a central player in the global AI ecosystem. Pattern of Elite Accountability Avoidance Raises Concerns Gates’ withdrawal reflects a broader pattern where wealthy elites facing uncomfortable questions about past associations simply avoid public scrutiny rather than provide transparent explanations. The Gates Foundation’s vague statement about maintaining summit focus serves as deflection rather than addressing legitimate public interest in understanding why Gates maintained contact with a convicted sex offender. For Americans who value accountability and transparency, this incident demonstrates how billionaire philanthropists can sidestep difficult questions by withdrawing from commitments without facing meaningful consequences or pressure to explain their decision-making. Bill Gates Pulls Out Of High-Profile Indian AI Summit As Epstein Fallout Accelerates https://t.co/ws5fa60CVx — zerohedge (@zerohedge) February 19, 2026 The summit continues without Gates’ participation, but the withdrawal adds another complication to an event already struggling with credibility issues. International attendees lose access to perspectives from one of technology’s most influential figures, while India’s government faces embarrassment over the high-profile cancellation. The incident underscores how reputational concerns stemming from associations with figures like Epstein can disrupt even major international technology forums, regardless of how many years have passed since the controversial relationships occurred. Sources: Bill Gates Foundation on Withdrawal from India AI Summit – Fortune

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Nobody would recognize this 'star'